Dubai holds training course on justification of diagnostic imaging and use of referral guidelines.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, September 10, 2014:  The Dubai Health Authority in partnership with World Health Organization (WHO), International Society of Radiology (ISR) and Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for Medical Sciences co-organized a training program on justification of diagnostic imaging and use of referral guidelines.

The aim of the program was to educate healthcare practitioners about the dangers of ionizing radiation exposure and the usage of referral guidelines to prevent this.

Dr Jamila Al Suwaidi, medical physicist, chair of radiation committee at the DHA and director of the patient radiation safety project, said: “Through the rapid development of diagnostic radiology, imaging-guided interventions, nuclear medicine and radiotherapy (i.e. teletherapy and brachytherapy), ionizing radiation is today one of the most important diagnostic tools and a key component of cancer treatment. However, the numerous benefits of radiation applications in medicine are challenged by the possible risks of ionizing radiation exposure.  Therefore, in order to promote appropriate use of radiation in medical imaging, international and professional organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Society of Radiology (ISR) work jointly to develop an educational program through which the implementation of the radiation protection principles in the clinical practice is further elaborated. Hence, the WHO and ISR designed a training course to support countries that are starting to introduce referral guidelines within their radiological imaging practices.”

Al Suwaidi, added: “ The course we c-organised has provided an opportunity to train both referrers and future trainers on the use of medical imaging referral guidelines. It has helped enable local trainers to subsequently deliver the same training themselves, by using the WHO-ISR curriculum. This is consistent with a “Locally-Championed and Globally-Supported” model towards a sustainable infrastructure for implementing training activities in various local environments.”

“ We are in the process of implementing these guidelines and thus the course is aimed to promote awareness about the use and importance of these guidelines. These guidelines are very important for safe practice in the field.  In fact, the two principles of radiation protection in medicine internationally adopted are: justification of radiological procedures and the optimization of practice. Thus,   implementation of medical imaging referral guidelines is considered as a tool to facilitate appropriate use of procedures, support good medical practice and strengthen radiation safety in daily practice, regardless of the setting.”

She added that the course provided an overview on trends in procedure utilization, radiation exposure and risks.  It addressed what referrers should know about radiation protection in medical imaging and will review the concept of implementing imaging referral guidelines (IRGs) when requesting radiological examinations within their practice.  Furthermore, the course tackled the subject on how referrers could improve justification and optimization principles of radiation safety.  The audience gained  insight into the practices of radiology.  Issues and solutions to introduce and use referral guidelines in practice in the UAE was discussed and mechanisms for building global, regional and local partnerships to improve justification was also presented during the one-day course.
She said the  course was addressed to referral physicians and residents.  Radiologists, nuclear medicine physicians, radiographers and medical physicist attended the course so that they can become trainers for future local courses on the same subject.