WIHI: The Image of Better (Radiation) Imaging Practices

Date: June 17, 2010

Featuring:

• James R. Duncan, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Radiology and Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine
• Richard T. Griffey, MD, MPH, Associate Chief for Quality and Safety, Emergency Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine

 

Have you had a CT scan lately? Chances are good that you have. In fact, you may have even had some repeat CT scans for the same problem — often because the original scans couldn’t be found. Until recently, we’ve been so enamored of this powerful diagnostic technology that most of us haven’t thought twice about repeating a scan, or considered the benefits versus the risks. Not to mention the costs. But we’re learning that a lifetime of exposure likely contributes to a greater risk of cancer. And many CT scans just aren’t needed, contributing to vast overutilization and significant health care spending. One person’s expense is of course another’s revenue, patients demand the best imaging, and physicians have a hard time saying no. What if they’ve missed something? How can we safely and wisely slow down this medical breakthrough?

 

WIHI host Madge Kaplan welcomes Drs. James Duncan and Richard Griffey. As the amount of radiation Americans are exposed to from medical imaging skyrockets, notably among children, various federal agencies, radiologists, and improvement experts are taking notice and suggesting changes.

 

Duncan and Griffey discuss the latest research on radiation imaging risks; new thinking about appropriate doses and the technology that can support greater accuracy; options for alternative imaging (e.g., ultrasound or MRI); decision supports for patients and clinicians; and more. Did you know that the International Atomic Energy Agency is spearheading the introduction of a “smart card” that could keep track of how much medical radiation an individual has been exposed to?