ECRI initiative cites progress on CT radiation safety

Seventeen Pennsylvania hospitals and imaging centers that joined forces to improve CT radiation safety have made progress in a number of areas, including better tracking of radiation doses, curbing of unnecessary CT scanning and developing of action plans for when excessive radiation events occur.

The year-long collaborative effort was part of the Partnership for Patient Care, a regional safety effort funded by Independence Blue Cross and local health systems.

Participating organizations saw an 87% improvement in their radiation dose tracking and a 55% improvement in radiation dose auditing, according to survey data taken at the beginning and end of the project.

“We were pleased to see marked improvement by participating facilities in a number of significant areas including tracking radiation dose for each study, having action plans for managing excessive CT radiation dose, reducing repeat imaging studies and increasing leadership engagement and support,” said program manager Patricia Neumann, a senior patient safety analyst at ECRI Institute.

ECRI Institute, a Plymouth Meeting, Pa.-based safety organization, led the radiation collaborative. ECRI has ranked radiation exposure among its Top 10 Health Technology Hazards for the past five years.

The hospitals and imaging centers implemented a number of targeted interventions, such as revising CT protocols so radiation doses are as low as possible, and providing additional education and training to all technologists.

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