Nonprofits collaborate on CT radiation improvement

ECRI Institute and the Health Care Improvement Foundation are collaborating on the Partnership for Patient Care, which will focus on improving CT radiation safety in Philadelphia and surrounding counties, according to ECRI. The joint venture by the two nonprofit organizations is funded by area hospitals and Independence Blue Cross.

“The overall goal of this program is for 100 percent of the participants to be actively monitoring recorded CT radiation doses in order to deliver doses that are as low as reasonably achievable,” said Kathy Shostek, senior risk management analyst at ECRI, and the program’s manager.

Inappropriate CT radiation doses can cause high exposures and put patients at risk of cancer, according to the institute. Strategies for the Partnership for Patient Care include addressing excessive radiation dose and implementing practices that optimize CT studies. The project is a multi-year collaborative among the Health Care Improvement Foundation, Independence Blue Cross, and healthcare organizations across Southeastern Pennsylvania.

“Diagnostic CT scans are a very important diagnostic tool that benefits millions of patients. When conducted properly, no CT scans should approach doses high enough for patients to lose their hair and have skin burns,” said Rohit Inamdar, MSc, senior associate at ECRI.

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