Maybe software alone isn’t the answer. What’s missing is the human element in radiation dose monitoring.
The amount of information in an airplane cockpit – dashboards, instruments, communication equipment, controls, throttles, warning lights, etc. - may be over-whelming for most people. This is much like dose monitoring software. There is a wealth of information in a patient's dose, but we cannot always effectively use it because there may not be a trained person to interpret it. You need a pilot to make sense of that data and help fly the plane. We need that human element with radiation dose management.
Join LANDAUER Senior Physicist and Director of LANDAUER OPTIMIZE™️, Olav Christianson, MS, DABR, as he discusses the human element of radiation monitoring in this informative, engaging webinar, or watch the sections of this webinar that are of the most interest to you.
Flight Crew
Who should be on the dose management team? What roles are required? What is the role of each team member? Learn how to get the entire team working together to achieve compliance and improved patient care.
Communication
When patients come into the hospital, they have pre-conceived notions of radiation. We must be careful how we communicate to avoid putting them on high alert or causing them to refuse a study that's in their best interest. This section offers analogies and examples of ways to ensure informed patient consent.
Flight Plan
- Flight rules (standards and regulations)
- Route to be followed (imaging protocols)
- Speed and altitude (expected dose ranges)
Olav provides a summary of Joint Commission standards, discusses imaging protocols, key performance indicators, external benchmarks, automated mapping, and using benchmarks to establish expected dose ranges.
Course Correction
When you fly too high or fly too low, what do you do? With radiation dose monitoring, course corrections are similar. What is your process for investigating examinations that exceed expected dose index ranges? A one size fits all approach does not work.
Training & Education
Risk awareness for staff is necessary, too. Anyone operating fluoroscopy equipment should participate in ongoing education on topics such as typical radiation dose and dose rates, possible health concerns, dose optimization techniques, following ALARA for staff and the patient, and much more.
Occupational Safety
Staff radiation risks are real, with:
- 2x increased risk of brain cancer
- 6x risk of cataracts
- 67% of all cancers on the left side of the body
Learn more about the risks, resources, and ways to protect staff – your most valuable asset.
Visit our blog to read more about the human side of radiation dose monitoring.