TU-F-9A-01: Balancing Image Quality and Dose in Radiography

Abstract

Emphasis is often placed on minimizing radiation dose in diagnostic imaging without a complete consideration of the effect on image quality, especially those that affect diagnostic accuracy. This session will include a patient image-based review of diagnostic quantities important to radiologists in conventional radiography, including the effects of body habitus, age, positioning, and the clinical indication of the exam. The relationships between image quality, radiation dose, and radiation risk will be discussed, specifically addressing how these factors are affected by image protocols and acquisition parameters and techniques. This session will also discuss some of the actual and perceived radiation risk associated with diagnostic imaging. Regardless if the probability for radiation-induced cancer is small, the fear associated with radiation persists. Also when a risk has a benefit to an individual or to society, the risk may be justified with respect to the benefit. But how do you convey the risks and the benefits to people? This requires knowledge of how people perceive risk and how to communicate the risk and the benefit to different populations. In this presentation the sources of errors in estimating risk from radiation and some methods used to convey risks are reviewed. Learning Objectives: 1. Understand the image quality metrics that are clinically relevant to radiologists. 2. Understand how acquisition parameters and techniques affect image quality and radiation dose in conventional radiology. 3. Understand the uncertainties in estimates of radiation risk from imaging exams. 4. Learn some methods for effectively communicating radiation risk to the public.