There are four components to our commitment to safety during medical imaging procedures at Northeast Radiology
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Determining the appropriate exam.
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Optimizing the minimum radiation exposure per exam to patients for those exams that require radiation.
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Conducting safety screenings for each patient multiple times that are related to the specific type of imaging exam the patient will receive.
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Employing only highly trained and certified staff and advanced equipment.
Many life-saving benefits have accompanied the growth of medical imaging over the last 30 years. It has vastly reduced the number of invasive diagnostic procedures which are far more dangerous. We are, however, very mindful that overutilization of medical imaging exams can be detrimental to patients by exposing them to unnecessary radiation.
Steps to reduce radiation exposure:
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Only your doctor or specialist can write the required prescription for radiology imaging.
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We operate on the principle of “as low as reasonably achievable”, or ALARA, when it comes to using ionizing radiation for CT, mammography, PET-CT, bone density (DEXA), or x-ray examinations.
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When appropriate we suggest alternative imaging examination, such as our MRIs and ultrasounds, which do not use ionizing radiation.
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Each of our imaging technologies are regularly inspected by a third-party medical physicist for safety in operation.
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The medical protocols we use for each examination are constantly reviewed under our Radiation Safety Program to minimize exposure.
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Shielding is used so that only the indicated area is exposed to radiation.
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We strive to limit multiple exams.
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The radiation dose is tailored to the age, size, sex, weight, and clinical history of the individual patient. Gathering this information is one of the reasons we ask safety questions multiple times before any exam.
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We are part of the Image Gently Alliance to insure the highest standards in pediatric care.
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Our CT scanners are ACR® Accredited, an accreditation that requires special emphasis on patient safety and staff training. Further, we have obtained ACR® Accreditations for every one of our examinations where ACR® Accreditation is available.
The training, experience, integrity and quality of the staff that administers any safety program are the greatest contributors to patient safety:
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On-site radiologists at our facilities oversee patient safety.
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All our radiologists are certified by the American Board of Radiology. All are specialty trained, and many have been chief residents during their medical residencies.
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Our board-certified radiologists oversee and interpret every study and make sure it has the lowest radiation dose possible.
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All our radiologic technologists and sonographers, the people who perform the actual medical imaging tests, meet the certification standards of the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography, American Registry of Radiologic Technologists, and the Nuclear Medicine Technology Certification Board. These certification agencies are governed by independent boards. These agencies establish rules and regulations, ethics standards, and continuing education requirements for renewing each individual’s registrations.
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Our nurses have both BLS (Basic Life Support) and ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support) certifications, and most are also PALS (Pediatric Advanced Life Support) certified.
Each exam type has its own set of safety screening questions:
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For example, with an MRI, because of the effects of the powerful magnet on metal, our staff screens every patient multiple times.
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In certain kinds of examinations, including MRI and CT, a contrast agent (also called dye) may be required for an accurate diagnosis. In these instances our staff may need the results of certain blood tests to make sure the exam is safe for you.
People, training, equipment and expertise combine to provide the highest standards of patient safety at Northeast Radiology.
Northeast Radiology has achieved the following accreditations and additional quality pledges: