An Interdisciplinary Approach to Improving Radiation Protection in Digital Radiography.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To determine improvement approaches that can be routinely incorporated in digital radiography to ensure that radiation protection practices are based on current equipment capabilities. METHODS: A literature review was conducted on digital radiography as it pertains to radiation protection, quality improvement, evidence-based practice, and interdisciplinary approaches. RESULTS: Transitioning from film-screen radiography to digital radiography has resulted in confusion in applying appropriate techniques and abiding by the as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA) concept. DISCUSSION: Clinically effective research should be continually reviewed and incorporated into practice as routine. Applying quality improvement approaches and implementing practice improvement projects will help facilities achieve radiation-based benchmarks to improve imaging practices. CONCLUSION: Developing interdisciplinary quality improvement workgroups that include a variety of imaging stakeholders will allow for improvement in applying radiation protection research.