Seventeen Philadelphia-area hospitals and imaging centers improved CT radiation dose tracking, control and policies through a one-year Partnership for Patient Care program, according to an ECRI Institute report.
The program included reporting of CT radiation dose data, educational seminars, assistance in implementing policies and online collaboration between hospitals over a one-year period (July 2011 to June 2012).
Reported findings showed the program had achieved results.
"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, in a news release.
Gerald Bedard, senior director of diagnostic imaging at Grand View Hospital in Sellersville, Pa., saw the collaboration as a major factor in the program's success, according to the release:
"The collaborative process was quite eye-opening. So often we look outside of our field for solutions to our issues. ECRI Institute encouraged us to look inside at our actual practice. Once we did, the dose improvements kept coming. Actual dose reductions of 47 percent were achieved," he said.
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The program included reporting of CT radiation dose data, educational seminars, assistance in implementing policies and online collaboration between hospitals over a one-year period (July 2011 to June 2012).
Reported findings showed the program had achieved results.
"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, in a news release.
Gerald Bedard, senior director of diagnostic imaging at Grand View Hospital in Sellersville, Pa., saw the collaboration as a major factor in the program's success, according to the release:
"The collaborative process was quite eye-opening. So often we look outside of our field for solutions to our issues. ECRI Institute encouraged us to look inside at our actual practice. Once we did, the dose improvements kept coming. Actual dose reductions of 47 percent were achieved," he said.
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