From the November 2015 issue of HealthCare Business News magazine
HCB NEWS: How do you see the culture of radiation safety changing or evolving? How different is it from when you started, to this time in your career?
JR: I do see the culture of radiation safety changing and evolving. It’s been evolving for some time. In particular, in the last 8 years it has changed a lot. The Image Gently campaign that is focused upon pediatrics and the Image Wisely campaign which focuses on adults, have increased awareness for radiation safety, and this increased awareness continues to grow. When I started my career 18 years ago in a pediatric facility there was a strong focus and awareness on dose, because children are more susceptible to the effects of radiation.
Even though we were aware, and did what we could to decrease radiation, there has been a more recent focus on creating specific protocols to minimize dose. In the past we accepted the constraints of the equipment of major vendors and their commercial settings, which were typically tailored to the adult-sized patient. We worked to limit what we could. Now we have become more proactive in working with the companies to modify these settings to make them more appropriate for our pediatric patients.
In general, I think the major imaging companies want to do the right thing. I have noticed increased interest in addressing pediatric needs when it comes to dose reduction. Not only is it the right thing to do from a patient care standpoint, but I think that industry views this as an opportunity to set one’s company apart from its competitors. And they likely see the benefits from a marketing standpoint, too. In general, treating children is good PR.
HCB NEWS: How do forums such as RSNA impact this culture/ discussion around radiation safety? Do you anticipate a focus on radiation safety during RSNA?
JR: RSNA is a big opportunity for industry to showcase their latest technology advancements. There is healthy competition. From an industry standpoint they can boast how they are different and better than their competitors. One focus is on decreasing dose. It is a great forum because everyone is there to compare and contrast industry and innovations, including dose lowering technologies.
HCB NEWS: What challenges do you face every day?
JR: Both protecting yourself from X-ray exposure and “getting the job done” can sometimes be difficult to accomplish at the same time. Performing non-vascular procedures on the pediatric abdomen is particularly challenging. The interventional radiologist must be close to the patient and with a small patient that means close to the X-ray tube. It’s cumbersome to work around the hanging lead shield and guide a needle where it needs to go. Even with the best ergonomically designed lead, sometimes it is too awkward to use that shield during critical parts of the case. And sometimes it’s just hard to remember to use the lead shield when caught up in the moment of a challenging procedure. It takes a team approach to remind you to use the lead shield whenever possible
