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Radiographer/Medical Radiation Technologist’s Role in Authorization
and Justification of Medical Exposure as a Team Approach
POSITION STATEMENT
Revised2019
Radiographer/MedicalRadiationTechnologist’sRoleinAuthorizationandJustificationofMedicalExposureasaTeamApproachTheISRRTconsidersAuthorizationandJustificationofmedicalexposurewithinthe
Radiographer/MedicalRadiationTechnologistscopeofpractice,subjecttotheirdemonstrationof
appropriateeducationaltrainingleadingtoclinicalcompetencytocarryoutthetaskastrained.
Radiographers/MedicalRadiationTechnologistsplayanintegralpartintheAuthorizationand
Justificationofmedicalexposureprocessbycommunicatingtheradiationriskstopatientsand
referringcliniciansusingevidence-baseddataduringtheirdailypractice.
Background:
SupportingthispositionstatementisthenewInternationalBasicSafetyStandards(BSS)whichwas
publishedbytheInternationalAtomicEnergyAgency(IAEA)asGeneralSafetyRequirementsPart3
inJuly2014.
TheBSScoversfourareasofresponsibilitiesfortheprotectionandsafetyofpatientsrelatingto
Justification.First,statingthatthepersonororganizationresponsibleforfacilitiesandactivities
thatgiverisktoradiationriskshallhavetheprimeresponsibilityforprotectionandsafety.Also
supportingfromBSSisParagraph2.40and2.41statingthatotherparties,suchasthereferring
medicalpractitioner,medicalphysicistandMedicalradiationtechnologist(MRT)(Radiographer)
shallalsohavespecifiedresponsibilities.TheBSSstatesthatjustificationcanbeexplainedasthe
processofweighingtheexpectedbenefitsofanexposureagainstthepossibledetrimentofthe
associateddose.Thebenefitversusdetrimentmayrelatetotheindividualand/ortosocietyasa
whole.
JustificationofthemedicalexposureprocedurefortheindividualpatientisdefinedintheBSS
underparagraphs3.156and3.157.ThesetworequirementsoftheBSSensurethattheindividual
medicalexposureisjustifiedinadvancetakingintoaccountthespecificobjectivesoftheexposure
andthecharacteristicsoftheindividualinvolved
Theradiographer/medicalradiationtechnologistasaresultoftheireducationandtrainingobtaina
thoroughunderstandingandknowledgeofJustification.Itiswithintheirscopeofpracticetohelp
withtheAuthorizationwhentheradiologicalmedicalpractitioner(radiologist)isunavailableoran
MRT/Radiographerworkinginaccordancewiththeguidelinesissuedbythepractitioner.
Radiographer/MedicalImagingTechnologistauthorizationmaybedemonstratedbysigningor
initialingthereferralinapredeterminedplaceorbyenteringanelectronicpassword.The
employer’sprocedureshoulddescribeclearlyhowauthorizationistobedemonstrated.
Itisrecognizedthat,inadditiontoradiologists,insomecountriestheMRT/Radiographeris
permittedtoactaspractitionersforaspecificrangeofdiagnosticprocedures.Ineverycountry,the
MRT/Radiographerhasaresponsibilitytocontributetotheimagingteamtoensurethatpatients
donotreceiveadditionalexposureduetoduplicateproceduresorinappropriateprocedures.
However,itisnotfeasibleforaradiologist,actingasapractitioner,torevieweveryimagingrequest
andthereforeappropriatelyentitledMRTs/Radiographerscanauthorizeanexposureusingwritten
guidelinesthatapractitionerhaswritten.
TheISRRTBoardofManagementpromotesthescopeofpracticeofaTeamapproachto
AuthorizationandJustificationassafeandbestpracticefordiagnosticimagingservices.
References:
www.isrrt.org,JustificationandauthorizationofplannedMedicalExposures
www.isrrt.org,FlowChart-Summaryofactionsintheprocessofauthorizationandjustificationof
medicalexposuretoionizingradiation
www.isr.org,ISRQSANews,July,2016Web-basedDecisionToolforRadiographersforthe
AuthorizationandJustificationofImagingProceduresUsingIonizingRadiation
www.isrrt.org,newsandviews,Dec,2015,ISRRTresponsetotheBonnCall-for-Action,New
InternationalBSScallsforateamapproachtojustificationandauthorizationofmedicalexposure–
whatrolecanthetechnologists/radiographerplayinjustificationandauthorization
www.iaea.org,InternationalBasicSafetyStandards(BSS),InternationalAtomicEnergyAgency
(IAEA),GeneralSafetyRequirementsPart3,July2014.
Note:Linkstoexternalwebsitesmaychangewithoutnotice
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