MITA endorses 8 principles to reduce medical radiation

The Medical Imaging & Technology Alliance (MITA), an association representing the manufacturers, innovators and developers of medical imaging and radiation therapy systems, has endorsed eight principles to reduce exposure to medical radiation.

“Over the past 20 years innovations by imaging manufacturers have reduced radiation for many procedures by up to 75 percent,” said Dave Fisher, executive director of MITA.

To the end of furthering reducing radiation exposure during medical imaging exams, 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 the U.S.
• Adopting a standardized method of storing of diagnostic imaging and radiation therapy information within EHRs.
• Expanding mandatory accreditation for 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 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 transparent manner.
• Working with stakeholders to develop radiation dose reference values to provide a data point to compare the dose level of a specific procedure.

MITA also said it is co-sponsoring an upcoming a radiation dose summit to further the education of providers and physicists on the new technologies that companies are manufacturing.