Patient perspectives on radiation dose: reporting a survey of patient opinions.

With the marked increase in the number of CT scans, nuclear medicine tests and interventional radiological procedures, it is no longer possible to ignore the patients' increasingly vocal question: how much radiation is too much? The Powerful Patient conducted a survey of patient opinions in March-May 2014 to gather patient input for the International Conference on Radiation Protection in Medicine. Patients are eager to work with their physicians and radiology professionals to gather the data needed to answer their very real concerns. They clearly know and appreciate the value of these applications of radiation but want to use them wisely and without long-term consequences.