Effective immediately, the Image Gently Campaign has named intrepid Medical Physicist, Keith Strauss, Vice Chair.

Dr. Michael Callahan, the original web editor for the Campaign at its launch in 2008, has been lured back to the role.  Dr. Callahan has conducted a web user survey and plans are in place for a re-boot of the Image Gently website this summer. 

Dr. Marilyn Goske's many contributions to imaging excellence and safely will be recognized when she is inducted as an AAPM Honorary member this summer. Read more here.

Our Image Gently Alliance now includes over 90 health care organizations from across the globe;  Representatives of approximately 50 of those Alliance Organizations attended the annual meeting held during RSNA 2014 to hear updates on the many on-going Campaign initiatives. 

A highlight was Founding Chair, Dr. Marilyn Goske, being surprised by Dr. Donald Frush with the 2014 Butterfly Award.

Summary of Reports from Initiative leaders:

The Imaging Gently website, as well as the campaigns, continue to grow in content and purpose. For example, in 2013 we saw 411,563 visits to the site, and in 2014 we saw 582,520 visits. In addition, in 2013 we had 21,396 pledgers, and in 2014 we had 28,779 pledgers. 



Administrative changes included Dr. Donald Frush assuming the title of Co-chair, Image Gently, and Shaniece Rigans joined the team as Administrative support.  Founding chair, Dr. Marilyn Goske has announced her intention to step down as chair in the summer of 2015.

Alliance Steering Committee changes included the addition of Alan Lurie, DDS, PhD, and William Mayo-Smith, MD. We also welcomed 16 new organizations, many affiliated with the Dental Campaign launched in the fall.  



A major message campaign titled “Image Gently in Dentistry,” launched in September 2014.  This campaign germinated from conversations Dr. Allan Farman initiated with Dr. Marilyn Goske in 2011. Dr. Alan Lurie joined the effort at RSNA 2012 and the Image Gently in Dentistry was the result.  The Image Gently in Dentistry Steering Committee gathered support from the ADA and many dental specialty groups. The campaign webpage is rich with materials for dentists, dental assistants and hygienists, medical physicists, and parents.  The message was enthusiastically promoted at national and international conferences in the fall of 2014 and the spring of 2015.  

Thanks to everyone who attended the 2014 meeting of the Alliance for Radiation Safety in Pediatric Imaging!  

 MITA And Image Gently Release Joint Position Paper On Interventional X-Ray Equipment For Pediatric Patients

The position paper offers essential questions and insights for engineers and designers of interventional X-ray imaging technologies for pediatric patients (from neonate to 21 years of age) to consider when developing such equipment, with the ultimate goal of improving patient outcomes, enhancing image quality and managing radiation dose.

Click here to access the press release.

AXIS (formerly Imaging Economics) interviewed Keith Strauss on the joint MITA and Image Gently position paper on interventional X-ray equipment for pediatric patients. Listen to the podcast here.

Notes from the IAEA Technical Meeting on Justification of Medical Exposure, 
March 9-11, 2015, in Vienna, Austria

In addition to the publication of the International Basic Safety Standards (BSS) on Radiation Protection and Safety of Radiation Resources (co-sponsored by  the EC, FAO, IAEA, ILO, OECD/NEA, PAHO, UNEP, WHO) and the ongoing publication of a Safety Guide on Radiation Protection and Safety in Medical Uses of Ionizing Radiation (co-sponsored by WHO, PAHO and ILO), one major milestone of the activities of the IAEA in the field of medical radiation protection was the “Bonn Call for Action” - the meeting held in December 2012, a meeting with more than 500 participants.

 

 

 

 

Ten fields of action were identified at the "Bonn Call for Action"; one of the most important is justification of examinations. There have been further IAEA technical meetings on this topic in March 2013 and 2014 with three aims: to explore what clinical imaging guidelines are currently available, to define the problems associated with clinical imaging guideline creation and use, and to begin to establish concrete plans for international collaboration.

 

 

 

10 Proposed Actions
Action 1: Enhance the implementation of the principle of justification
Action 2: Enhance the implementation of the principle of optimization of protection and safety
Action 3: Strengthen manufacturers’ role in contributing to the overall safety regime
Action 4: Strengthen radiation protection education and training of health professionals
Action 5: Shape and promote a strategic research agenda for radiation protection in medicine
Action 6: Increase availability of improved global information on medical exposures and occupational exposures in medicine
Action 7: Improve prevention of medical radiation incidents and accidents
Action 8: Strengthen radiation safety culture in health care
Action 9: Foster an improved radiation benefit-risk-dialogue
Action 10: Strengthen the implementation of safety requirements globally 

Visit the Bonn Call for Action platform for more information.

 

Photo 1 above : Professor Gerald Partan (middle), speaking as he represents Image Gently
Photo 2: Group photo taken at the IAEA Technical Meeting on Justification of Medical Exposure

Alliance Steering Committee member, Dr. Kimberly Applegate delivered the lecture: "The Image Gently Campaign: Partnerships to Improve Radiation Protection of Children" at the March 2015 La dose in Radiologia Pediatrica: una questione “pendente” conference in Pisa, Italy.  The lecture was aimed at raising of awareness about the initiatives of the Alliance in the US and abroad. It also included a specific reference to contacts with EuroSafe Imaging, IAEA, and WHO. There were an estimated 150 course enrollees at the one-day conference that comprised mostly adult radiologists but also radiographers, medical physicists, and trainees. There were also several pediatric radiologists. Most were from the Tuscany region, which includes Pisa, Florence, and Milan. There were also some attendees from Rome and other parts of Italy. The lectures and discussions were lively. The main corporate sponsor of the meeting was Bayer, and they were promoting radiation protection software. There were few that had licensed any dose reduction software in Europe, but the regulatory changes soon to come would require it. Dr. Applegate commented: "Overall, I believe that there is enthusiasm for the type of pediatric radiology and Image Gently course materials that were discussed."

 

Thanks to Planmeca USA for showing their support for the Campaign by wearing Image Gently pins during the 150th Chicago Midwinter Dental Meeting. Planmeca representatives educated oral health practitioners on ALARA imaging principles and ways to reduce radiation exposure in the dental office.

To download International Day posters visit the Image Gently website. For details on ways to raise awareness this year visit the Int'l Day  website. 

Learn more on the Home page....