A radiation protection program prospectus based on the collection of 10 years of key performance indicator data

INVESTIGATIONS OF OCCUPATIONAL RADIATION DOSE INCIDENTS RELATED TO MEDICAL PRACTICES IN SAUDI ARABIA

This study aimed to investigate national incidents related to medical radiation practices in Saudi Arabia from 2015 to 2019, and the actions taken to deal with these cases. The radiation protection program of the Saudi Ministry of Health monitors occupational doses for medical staff. When the radiation doses exceed the assigned investigation levels, an investigation protocol should be followed to identify the reasons and present recommendations. A total of 96 cases of radiation doses were above the investigation levels; 70% above level I, and 30% above level II. These cases were found to be 44% overload exposure, 32% intentional exposure, 8% accidental/unintentional exposure and 16% dosimeter misadventure. The majority of cases (80%) were in 2015 and 2016 with a significant drop in cases following these 2 years mainly due to continuing education and training. Investigations of incidents and the actions taken contributed to improving the radiation protection program.

Contextual Information for the Potential Enhancement of Annual Radiation Protection Program Review Reports

Organizations possessing sources of ionizing radiation are required to develop, document, and implement a "radiation protection program" that is commensurate with the scope and extent of permitted activities and sufficient to ensure compliance with basic radiation safety regulations. The radiation protection program must also be reviewed at least annually, assessing program content and implementation. A convenience sample assessment of web-accessible and voluntarily-submitted radiation protection program annual review reports revealed that while the reports consistently documented compliance with necessary regulatory elements, very few included any critical contextual information describing how important the ability to possess radiation sources was to the central mission of the organization. Information regarding how much radioactive material was currently possessed as compared to license limits was also missing. Summarized here are suggested contextual elements that can be considered for possible inclusion in annual radiation protection program reviews to enhance stakeholder understanding and appreciation of the importance of the ability to possess radiation sources and the importance of maintaining compliance with associated regulatory requirements.

An updated radiation protection program prospectus based on 20 years of data describing program drivers and activities

In 1992, the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHSCH) Radiation Safety Program began assembling data on a monthly basis that described various program drivers and associated activities. At the end of calendar year 2002, a decade of data had been collected, so the information was summarized into a novel program prospectus, displaying various program indicator parameters in a format similar to that used in a commercial enterprise prospectus provided to potential investors. The consistent formatting of the data afforded a succinct and easily digestible snapshot of program activities and trends. Feedback from various program stakeholders, even those unfamiliar with radiation safety matters, was overwhelmingly positive. By the end of 2012, a total of 20 years of data had been collected, so an updated and slightly modified prospectus was created. The summary document has helped to describe the drivers of the program, revealed some interesting trends, and has aided in maintaining program support even in challenging economic times. The data summary has also proved to be useful in making future projections regarding program needs.

A nontraditional method of providing radiation protection instruction at a large health science center

In the 4 quarter of 2001 the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) converted its traditional classroom radiation safety course, taught exclusively in a classroom setting four times each year, to a combined online-classroom format in which the majority of the course is taught online. This change was instituted in an effort to minimize the time spent in the classroom for UAB research personnel. This format should provide the additional benefit of self-paced instruction for course participants. The hypothesis that the combined online/lecture format was as effective as the lecture-only format was tested. A statistical analysis was performed on the average first-attempt test scores of the tests (number of tests = 334) taken during a 2-y period before the online transition (average score = 75.5), and the average first-attempt test scores of the tests (number of tests = 359) taken during a 2-y period after the online transition (average score = 74.1.) A two-tailed Student's t-test was performed on the data. The t-value was 1.73, and P (T< or = t) was 0.083. At alpha = 0.05, the null hypothesis that the two averages are equal cannot be rejected. Thus the online course format appears to be as effective a method of radiation safety instruction as the more traditional, exclusively-classroom method of instruction. This article also reviews steps under consideration to improve the current online course to make it a more effective tool in radiation safety instruction.