Nuclear medicine firm UltraSPECT is throwing its support behind the HeartSafe Imaging initiative introduced by radiopharmaceutical provider HeartLight Pharmacy Services.
The companies have joined forces to educate nuclear medicine departments and healthcare facilities on how to reduce radiation exposure to patients and staff during imaging exams, according to UltraSPECT. Averaging 12-13 mSv for a cardiac scan, nuclear cardiology has the highest radiation dose in all of radiology, the firm said.
The HeartSafe Imaging initiative has four components:
- The use of low-enriched uranium (LEU), which is available through HeartLight, for medical isotope production. The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) provides an additional $10 in reimbursement for each LEU dose used in studies for Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (HOPPS) patients.
