TH-C-P-618-02: Improved Radiation Protection in Medicine: Let's Build a Stronger Bridge and “Get Over It”

Abstract

State and Federal budgets are severely under funded. Health Maintenance Organizations and other managed care groups along with the public are demanding more of the medical industry, yet are not willing to pay more for these services. The expectation of achieving more with fewer resources at some point threatens the quality of health care, patient safety, and radiation protection of the general public. Difficult times require difficult choices. Human and monetary resources are dwindling. Should some radiation protection efforts be curtailed or eliminated to allow the most effective programs to expand? Should the basic fundamentals behind our regulatory processes be risk‐informed and performance based? Should future federal enabling legislation be refocused on programs that warrant higher attention due to increased risk? Should legislators pass on some of the costs to users? Can ambitious federal/state regulatory radiation protection programs endanger the implementation of new, more effective health care techniques? Has the time come to begin the regulation of image quality in health care? How can the unique viewpoints and goals of the regulatory and medical communities be converted to common goals through the sharing of knowledge to further ensure understanding and trust? How can members of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) and the American College of Radiology (ACR) work more effectively with members of the Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors (CRCPD) to answer these questions? Past successes and present challenges before the CRCPD, AAPM, and ACR as well as answers to these questions are discussed. Some of the subtleties of image quality will be demonstrated throughout the presentation to illustrate elements of a more effective partnership in the future between the regulatory community and the medical industry. This relationship that includes regulations that support science and future clinical health care is necessary to insure safe health care at the high quality expected by the American general public—a cooperation John Villforth would applaud.