Dear AuntMinnie Member,
The Image Wisely radiation dose reduction campaign took a step forward this week by expanding its purview to include nuclear medicine.
Image Wisely is the adult version of the successful Image Gently campaign, which was launched in 2008 to raise awareness of radiation dose issues involved in scanning children. Image Wisely went live in 2010, and organizers have slowly been rolling it out to cover all modalities in medical imaging that use radiation.
Nuclear medicine practitioners can now find educational materials on the Image Wisely website, including information about reducing radiopharmaceutical dose, using nuclear medicine appropriately, and specific issues to consider in different types of nuclear medicine exams.
Learn more about the launch by clicking here, or visit our Molecular Imaging Digital Community at molecular.auntminnie.com.
Too much testing?
The best way to reduce radiation dose is not to perform a scan at all (assuming that the scan isn't clinically appropriate). With that in mind, we bring you a story on a new study published yesterday in Archives of Internal Medicine in which researchers found higher repeat rates for diagnostic studies than might be clinically indicated.
A team analyzed repeat rates for a variety of diagnostic tests, several of which were medical imaging exams. They found that in nearly all cases, the tests were being repeated more often than clinical guidelines would indicate.
Find out which studies were being overused -- and you might be surprised by which imaging study was not -- by clicking here, or visit our Imaging Leaders Digital Community at leaders.auntminnie.com.
A final call from the Road
You only have a few days left to prepare for RSNA 2012, set to start on Sunday in Chicago. Getting ready for the world's largest medical meeting can seem overwhelming, but your AuntMinnie is here to help.
Just visit our Road to RSNA special preview of radiology's showcase conference, at radcast.auntminnie.com. You'll find previews of scientific sessions, poster presentations, and even refresher courses, all in an easy-to-use, modality-by-modality format.
But if you're still panicking about the thought of RSNA 2012, try looking at it a different way -- you still have 370 days to prepare for RSNA 2013!
Have a great Thanksgiving, and see you in Chicago!
