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Mass General Hosts International Training Event on Radiation Protection

October 23-27, 2017, Boston, MA
A group of 32 imaging professionals from 17 Asian countries participated in a week-long educational event on Radiation Protection at Massachusetts General Hospital. The event was hosted by the Global Outreach for Radiation Protection Program in the Department of Radiology with participants from Brunei, Cambodia, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Laos, Lebanon, Malaysia, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, UAE, and Vietnam. They included imaging physicians, medical physicists/radiation protection professionals and radiographers, most of whom are in senior positions in their respective countries and some of whom are working at policy-making levels.

The event was supported by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), a United Nations organization headquartered in Vienna, Austria. The focus was on safer use of ionizing radiation in medicine for patients and staff, exposing the group to Mass General’s experience in different areas of imaging. Topics included an overview of quality and safety initiatives; implementation of imaging appropriateness; patient safety in nuclear imaging, neuro-radiology, CT, interventional procedures, breast imaging, abdominal imaging, cardiac imaging and pediatric imaging; and safer imaging practices in pregnancy. Instructors demonstrated tools to monitor radiation dose and shared their experience in avoiding and managing radiation effects.

"There has been rampant use of CT scanning in large parts of the world, not all of which meets the appropriateness criteria laid down by professional societies. Mass General is a leader in the use of clinical decision support with over a decade of experience in implementing and enhancing appropriateness in imaging," says Madan Rehani, PhD, Director of Global Outreach for Radiation Protection, who directed the event with Manudeep Kalra, MD. "The need for reducing radiation exposure in imaging studies without compromising diagnostic information using the principle of optimization is an important aspect in which Mass General has great expertise."