Radiation exposure during imaging and shared decision making

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The primary aim of this application is to seek funding for an NIH-NHLBI-sponsored conference entitled "Patient-Centered Imaging-Shared Decision Making for Cardiac Imaging Procedures with Exposure to Ionizing Radiation" that will be co-sponsored by the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology (ASNC) and Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (SCCT). The purpose of this conference is to focus on clinically- oriented issues in radiation exposure that will result in improved laboratory practices for patient safety. Previous sponsored conferences have focused on the radiation biology and epidemiologic evidence linking radiation exposure to projected cancer risk and have lacked practical applicability. The aim of the current application is to focus on methods for improved medical and patient education on radiation exposure and to devise readily applicable clinical tools for tracking, and set quality metrics for population exposure that include optimal dose reduction strategies. This conference proposes to assemble clinical CV imaging experts, physicists, and related scientists in the field of medical and environmental education, medical ethics, and information technology to devise strategies for enhanced patient and physician understanding of CV imaging with exposure to ionizing radiation and to devise clinical strategies for tracking exposure and dose reduction for both nuclear cardiology and CV computed tomographic (CT) imaging procedures; the most commonly applied noninvasive CV imaging procedures exposing patients to ionizing radiation. CV CT and nuclear cardiology procedures are performed in an estimated 11.7 million patients annually. We propose three tracks in this conference including: Track #1 entitled Patient-Centered Imaging - Shared Decision Making for CV Imaging Procedures with Exposure to Ionizing Radiation. This track proposes to discuss: a) novel educational efforts to improve comprehension of imaging and radiation exposure, b) implementation strategies for patient informed consent on radiation risk, and c) propose standardized reporting related to radiation for CV imaging. Track #2 entitled Radiation Safety - A Quality Metric. This track proposes to: a) define the accepted metric and laboratory standards for radiation exposure that may be reliably applied in CV imaging and b) implementation of healthcare system tracking of radiation exposure. Track #3 entitled National Standards for Dose Reduction - Continuous Quality Initiatives, Accreditation, and Healthcare Coverage Decisions. This track proposes to review existing radiation dose reduction registries and evaluate feasible local, regional, and nationwide expansion strategies. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: We are proposing to do a conference to develop educational programs for doctors and patients on the risk of cancer associated with the use of specific heart scans. This conference will develop strategies to aid doctors and patients to understand radiation risk and the clinical benefit of heart disease detection. As well, this conference will develop strategies to track the average patient exposure to radiation for laboratories to be applied across the United States.