13th European ALARA Network Workshop, Norway 7-10 June 2011
“ALARA AND THE MEDICAL SECTOR”
pdf Download the Conclusions of the Workshop (588 KB)
With increases in patient doses, associated increase in occupational exposures, development of new technologies and the occurrence of serious incidents and accidents, the radiation protection challenges are mounting in the medical sector.
The aim of the Workshop is to consider how the ALARA principle can be effectively implemented with regard to both patient and staff exposures in diagnostic and therapeutic uses of ionising radiation.
The Workshop was a platform, bringing together relevant European medical professionals, networks and other stakeholders working with the ALARA principle, to exchange practical ideas and experiences and to identify further improvements related to better implementation of the optimisation principle in the medical sector.
Working Group Topics
- Challenges for the optimization of patient and staff radiation protection in the medical sector
Keywords: Parameters for ALARA benchmarking, high-dose diagnostic and therapy procedures, socio-economic factors, reward systems, unnecessary exposure, etc. - Policies and tools for implementing the ALARA principle in the medical sector
Keywords: Referral criteria, recommendations, standards and guidelines, audits, inspections, justification issues, DRLs, etc. - Education, training and communication to improve ALARA in the medical sector
Keywords: ALARA culture, multi-disciplinary and multi-media approach, key competences, harmonization issues, exchange of knowledge, networking, etc. - Technical developments and quality assurance in the implementation of the ALARA principle in the medical sector
Keyword: Effective quality control, conception of equipments, costs, evidence base for new technology, hybrid systems, justification issues etc.