Imaging manufacturers: Plan to reduce unnecessary radiation exposure and medical errors

The Medical Imaging & Technology Alliance (MITA), the leading association representing the manufacturers, innovators and developers of medical imaging and radiation therapy systems, today endorsed eight key principles to reduce exposure to unnecessary medical radiation, further minimize medical errors and improve reporting of adverse events.

"Over the past twenty years innovations by imaging manufacturers have reduced radiation for many procedures by up to 75 percent," said Dave Fisher, Executive Director of MITA. "MITA and its member companies look forward to working with all who are involved in patients' continuum of care to reduce medical radiation, reduce the number of medical errors and enhance transparency and timeliness of error reporting while also continually improving technology to aid physicians in turning patients into survivors."

To that end, MITA endorses:

• Expanding and integrating appropriateness criteria into physician decision-making.
• Creating a national dosage registry to ensure longitudinal tracking of dose levels for patients across America.
• Adopting a standardized method of storing of diagnostic imaging and radiation therapy information within electronic health records.
• Expanding mandatory accreditation for advanced imaging facilities.
• Establishing minimum standards for training and education for hospital and imaging facility personnel who perform medical imaging exams and deliver radiation therapy treatments.
• Develop enhanced operational safety procedures and checklists to reduce medical errors.
• Expanding and standardizing the reporting of medical errors associated with medical radiation across stakeholders in a manner that is transparent for patients, families and physicians.
• Working with stakeholders to develop radiation dose reference values to provide a data point to compare the dose level of a specific procedure. MITA commits to working with other stakeholders to develop the most appropriate way to incorporate this information into manufacturers' technology.

Provided by Powell Tate