The Role of a Medical Physicist in Diagnostic

8/3/2019 The Role of a Medical Physicist in Diagnostic

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The Role of a Medical Physicist inThe Role of a Medical Physicist in

Diagnostic RadiologyDiagnostic Radiology


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Typical Roles IncludeTypical Roles Include

!! DosimetryDosimetry

!!

Radiation ProtectionRadiation Protection!! Quality ControlQuality Control

!! TeachingTeaching

!!

ResearchResearch!! Technical ManagementTechnical Management

!! Scientific and Technical ConsultancyScientific and Technical Consultancy

!! CommunicationCommunication!! Promoting and selling your servicesPromoting and selling your services

!! OtherOther


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DosimetryDosimetry

!! Performing patient and foetal dose assessments onPerforming patient and foetal dose assessments on!! CTCT

!! RadiographicRadiographic!! FluoroscopicFluoroscopic

!! MammographicMammographic

!! Dental, DEXA otherDental, DEXA other

!! Performing dose assessments for staff and exposed members ofPerforming dose assessments for staff and exposed members ofthe publicthe public

!!

Calibration of dose measuring equipmentCalibration of dose measuring equipment!! Selection of appropriate dose measuring equipmentSelection of appropriate dose measuring equipment

!! Calculating effective dose from various dose measurements andCalculating effective dose from various dose measurements andrecordsrecords


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Radiation ProtectionRadiation Protection!! Comparison of patient doses with diagnostic reference levelsComparison of patient doses with diagnostic reference levels

!! Optimisation of dose and image qualityOptimisation of dose and image quality

!! Consultation with patients and medical staff on risks and implicConsultation with patients and medical staff on risks and implications of aations of aradiation doseradiation dose to patient and foetusto patient and foetus

!! Oversight of users of ionizing radiation, e.g., surgeons using fOversight of users of ionizing radiation, e.g., surgeons using fluoroscopyluoroscopy!! Regulatory adviceRegulatory advice

!! Personnel radiation protection and safety including monitoring,Personnel radiation protection and safety including monitoring,

!! Shielding calculations andShielding calculations and environmental (workplace) monitoringenvironmental (workplace) monitoring

!! Oversight of doses for high dose procedures, e.g., interventionaOversight of doses for high dose procedures, e.g., interventional procedures, CT,l procedures, CT,etc. including patient and staff consultation for individual patetc. including patient and staff consultation for individual patients with potentialients with potentialfor deterministic effectsfor deterministic effects

!! Dose calculations and consultation for ethical review boardsDose calculations and consultation for ethical review boards

!! Oversight of users of nuclear materials, i.e., serve as radiatioOversight of users of nuclear materials, i.e., serve as radiation safety officern safety officer!! Keeping upKeeping up--toto--date with changes in scientific literature on radiation protectidate with changes in scientific literature on radiation protectionon

and applying to clinical environmentand applying to clinical environment

!! Respond to emergency situations such as radioactive spillsRespond to emergency situations such as radioactive spills

!!

Act as or advisor to the Radiation Protection Officer and CommitAct as or advisor to the Radiation Protection Officer and Committeetee


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Quality ControlQuality Control

!! Acceptance testing and quality controlAcceptance testing and quality control

!! Review and revision of imaging protocols, e.g.,Review and revision of imaging protocols, e.g.,CT, to assure that doses and image quality areCT, to assure that doses and image quality are

consistent for different scanners, etc.consistent for different scanners, etc.!! Establishing User QC programEstablishing User QC program

!!

Establishing Medical Physics QC programEstablishing Medical Physics QC program!! Reviewing quality control results and programReviewing quality control results and program


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TeachingTeaching

!! Other medical physicists, radiology residents,Other medical physicists, radiology residents,

radiographersradiographers!! Medical users of xMedical users of x--ray equipmentray equipment

!! Other staff working around xOther staff working around x--ray equipmentray equipment Anaesthetists, nurses, gastroenterologists, speechAnaesthetists, nurses, gastroenterologists, speechlanguage therapists etclanguage therapists etc

!! Credentialing of users of ionizing radiation inCredentialing of users of ionizing radiation incooperation with Supervising Medical Staffcooperation with Supervising Medical StaffExecutiveExecutive


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ResearchResearch

!! Clinical research and developmentClinical research and development

!! Applied imaging researchApplied imaging research

!! Applied radiation protection researchApplied radiation protection research


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Technical ManagementTechnical Management

!! Equipment acquisition (specification, selection,Equipment acquisition (specification, selection,

disposition, etc)disposition, etc)!! Department technical managementDepartment technical management

!! ServiceService scheduling, equipment maintenancescheduling, equipment maintenanceoversightoversight

!! Participation in Planning and ResourceParticipation in Planning and Resource

AllocationAllocation!! Acting on behalf of the organisation to helpActing on behalf of the organisation to help

minimised technology costs.minimised technology costs.


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CommunicationCommunication

!! Act as translator on technical and radiation relatedAct as translator on technical and radiation relatedmatters between Clinical Service andmatters between Clinical Service and!! external vendorsexternal vendors

!! hospital managementhospital management

!! I.T departmentsI.T departments

!! Other institutionsOther institutions!! ....

!! Involvement in the Community in Public EducationInvolvement in the Community in Public Education

ActivitiesActivities!! Involvement with the Medical Imaging Community andInvolvement with the Medical Imaging Community and

Other Related OrganizationsOther Related Organizations


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OtherOther

!! MRI safety training and oversight, QCMRI safety training and oversight, QC

!! UltrasoundUltrasound QC and resolving imageQC and resolving imageperformance issuesperformance issues

!! Physics support for Cardiology, respiratoryPhysics support for Cardiology, respiratorymedicine, ophthalmology, urology, surgery,medicine, ophthalmology, urology, surgery,

intensive careintensive care....

!! Anything else that you can apply your physicsAnything else that you can apply your physics

skills to in the clinical environmentskills to in the clinical environment


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Core Technology CoveredCore Technology Covered!! RadiographyRadiography

!! MammographyMammography

!! Film and processing / CR/ DRFilm and processing / CR/ DR

!! CTCT

!! FluoroscopyFluoroscopy

!! AngiographyAngiography

!! Nuclear medicine imaging, some nonNuclear medicine imaging, some non--imaging studies withimaging studies withradionuclideradionuclides,s,

!! Diagnostic UltrasoundDiagnostic Ultrasound

!! MRIMRI

!! DentalDental

!! DEXADEXA

!! Display devicesDisplay devices

!! OtherOther IVNAA,IVNAA,


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!! The role of the Medical Physicists are often notThe role of the Medical Physicists are often not

understood.understood.!! There is an ongoing need to promote and sellThere is an ongoing need to promote and sell

the role of a medical physicist in athe role of a medical physicist in ahospital/ healthcare servicehospital/ healthcare service

Selling Your ServiceSelling Your Service


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Selling Your ServiceSelling Your Service

!! Medical uses of radiation contribute most of the population expoMedical uses of radiation contribute most of the population exposure to mansure to manmade radiation. We are in a unique position to minimise patientmade radiation. We are in a unique position to minimise patient and staffand staffdosesfromdosesfrom your equipmentyour equipment

!! Radiology departments typically represent the largest financialRadiology departments typically represent the largest financial investment ininvestment inhigh technology equipment in a medical facility.high technology equipment in a medical facility. Medical Physicist helpMedical Physicist helpprotect the investment in this technologyprotect the investment in this technology

!! Poor imaging performance can affect diagnostic performance and tPoor imaging performance can affect diagnostic performance and therapeuticherapeuticoutcomes. We can help ensure you get the optimum performance outoutcomes. We can help ensure you get the optimum performance out of yourof yourdiagnostic xdiagnostic x--ray equipment.ray equipment.

!! The significant investment in and the complexity of medical imagThe significant investment in and the complexity of medical imagingingequipment has increased the need for skilled technically and sciequipment has increased the need for skilled technically and scientificallyentificallytrained staff to support.trained staff to support. Another area that medical physics can play a majorAnother area that medical physics can play a majorrolerole


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Radiation Safety

Shielding design and verification

Specification and Tender

Facility Design

Equipment Evaluation

Purchase negotiation

Installation

Acceptance testing

Upgrades and modification

User training

I.T Interfacing/Trouble shooting

Quality Control

Regulatory Compliance testing

Patient DosimetryPerformance improvements

Planned maintenance

Staff & patient safety

Fault repairIncident investigation

Maintenance management

Equipment status reports

Decommissioning

Justification of purchase

DosimetryDosimetryDosimetry

Scientificand Technical

Consultancy

ScientificScientific

and Technicaland Technical

ConsultancyConsultancy

CommunicationCommunicationCommunication

ResearchResearchResearch

TeachingTeachingTeaching

Radiation

Protection

RadiationRadiation

ProtectionProtectionOtherOtherOther

???

TechnicalManagement

TechnicalTechnical

ManagementManagement


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AcknowledgementsAcknowledgements

Documents

The Role of a Medical Physicist in Diagnostic