Diana L Miglioretti1, Yue Zhang2, Eric Johnson3, Choonsik Lee4, Richard L Morin5, Nicholas Vanneman3, Rebecca Smith-Bindman6. 1. Division of Biostatistics, Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, California; Group Health Research Institute, Seattle, Washington. Electronic address: dmiglioretti@ucdavis.edu. 2. Division of Epidemiology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah. 3. Group Health Research Institute, Seattle, Washington. 4. Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institute of Health, Bethesda, Maryland. 5. Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida. 6. Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California; Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California.
Abstract
PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to determine whether providing radiologic technologists with audit feedback on doses from CT examinations they conduct and education on dose-reduction strategies reduces patients' radiation exposure. METHODS: This prospective, controlled pilot study was conducted within an integrated health care system from November 2010 to October 2011. Ten technologists at 2 facilities received personalized dose audit reports and education on dose-reduction strategies; 9 technologists at a control facility received no intervention. Radiation exposure was measured by the dose-length product (DLP) from CT scans performed before (n = 1,630) and after (n = 1,499) the intervention and compared using quantile regression. Technologists were surveyed before and after the intervention. RESULTS: For abdominal CT, DLPs decreased by 3% to 12% at intervention facilities but not at the control facility. For brain CT, DLPs significantly decreased by 7% to 12% at one intervention facility; did not change at the second intervention facility, which had the lowest preintervention DLPs; and increased at the control facility. Technologists were more likely to report always thinking about radiation exposure and associated cancer risk and optimizing settings to reduce exposure after the intervention. CONCLUSIONS: Personalized audit feedback and education can change technologists' attitudes about, and awareness of, radiation and can lower patient radiation exposure from CT imaging.
PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to determine whether providing radiologic technologists with audit feedback on doses from CT examinations they conduct and education on dose-reduction strategies reduces patients' radiation exposure. METHODS: This prospective, controlled pilot study was conducted within an integrated health care system from November 2010 to October 2011. Ten technologists at 2 facilities received personalized dose audit reports and education on dose-reduction strategies; 9 technologists at a control facility received no intervention. Radiation exposure was measured by the dose-length product (DLP) from CT scans performed before (n = 1,630) and after (n = 1,499) the intervention and compared using quantile regression. Technologists were surveyed before and after the intervention. RESULTS: For abdominal CT, DLPs decreased by 3% to 12% at intervention facilities but not at the control facility. For brain CT, DLPs significantly decreased by 7% to 12% at one intervention facility; did not change at the second intervention facility, which had the lowest preintervention DLPs; and increased at the control facility. Technologists were more likely to report always thinking about radiation exposure and associated cancer risk and optimizing settings to reduce exposure after the intervention. CONCLUSIONS: Personalized audit feedback and education can change technologists' attitudes about, and awareness of, radiation and can lower patient radiation exposure from CT imaging.