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

i

iRevised2019