UCSF: Committed to Image Wisely and Image Gently Campaigns

The Image Wisely and Image Gently campaigns emerged as a means to address concerns about the surge of public exposure to ionizing radiation from medical imaging to both adults and children. The UCSF Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging is proud to say that it’s been monitoring patient dose levels for nearly five years in response to these campaigns.

The Image Wisely Campaign, run by the Joint Task Force on Adult Radiation Protection (comprised of members from the American College of Radiology and the Radiological Society of North America,) and the Image Gently Campaign, run by the Alliance for Radiation Safety in Pediatric Imaging, have amassed a combined 24,550 signed pledges by associations, facilities, imaging professionals, and practitioners agreeing to image safely and optimally.

At UCSF, we have been proactive in increasing our consciousness about the radiation we expose our patients to. However, it is important for the state of California to start requiring the reporting of CT radiation doses, a single act that will increase conservation. Luckily, beginning July 1, diagnostic radiologists in California will be required to include radiation dose levels in all CT reports.

In 2009, UCSF created the Radiation Oversight Committee (ROC) to comply with low-dose efforts—a task force not unlike a CT radiation hall monitor for the medical center. As the previous chair to the ROC, I can confirm that the medical center frequently updates its software and has established a system-wide standard CT protocol, to disallow individual radiologists from determining dosage levels on a patient basis.

With all institutions participating in daily dosage level reporting, the long term benefits will be significant.  While it may be an extra step, the data will undoubtedly enhance scientific and biomedical research, and could prevent future radiation accidents.

For more information on the Image Wisely and Image Gently pledges, please see here.

For more information on the Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, please see here.