An Interdisciplinary Approach to Improving Radiation Protection in Digital Radiography.

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.