When it comes to radiation control, there are three important areas to be considered: quality assurance of the X-ray equipment, minimisation of radiation exposure to medical staff and dose management for the protection of patients.
The challenges
The number of X-rays taken around the world is increasing continuously and consequently radiation doses to patients are also rising. It is more important than ever to try and reduce unnecessary radiation – while keeping the necessary radiation as low as possible! In addition, healthcare institutions are at the same time faced with a three-fold challenge:
- Proving compliance with regulatory requirements
- Demonstrating the best practices in dose management
- Reducing costs
RaySafe S1 is one simple answer to these challenges!
Raysafe s1 dose management solution
RaySafe S1 is a patient dose tracking software that helps to lower patient dose and improve process quality in the diagnostic X-ray imaging process. Based on the DICOM standard, RaySafe S1 extracts dose information from different X-ray modalities, such as CT. It is a scalable solution that can be used by anyone involved in the diagnostic imaging process, such as referring physicians, radiologists, radiographers, medical physicists and radiation safety officers. Depending on your role, the RaySafe S1 will present information relevant for your needs.
Dose reduction and increased patient safety
Presuming that you have a calibrated X-ray machine in optimal working condition, the next step to promote dose reduction is justification. Is the exam justified? The benefit of the exam needs to be balanced with the risk, and not everyone is familiar with how to interpret this concept into practice. RaySafe S1 can help referring physicians in the justification process by providing referral guidelines. This will help the physician identify the most suitable exam and to be aware of the dose involved. It is also important to take the patient’s previous exams into account, as they contribute to the accumulated dose. RaySafe S1 lets hospitals access the patient’s dose history, to increase their safety.
The second step for protecting patients from unnecessary dose is optimisation. Is the image quality at its best, using as little radiation as possible? RaySafe S1 helps to achieve dose and image optimisation through providing checklists and reminders for the operator. When using optimal settings the number of retakes are minimised and optimal dose is promoted.
Thirdly, control is also necessary in order to reduce radiation dose. Is your radiology department as whole working optimally? Do you know what doses your patients are receiving? RaySafe S1 not only records patient dose during procedures; it can send automatic notifications in case an exposure level exceeds a pre-set value. It also lets the radiologist feedback on the image quality. While visualising dose, quality and waste-scan statistics with RaySafe S1, the trends indicate the effectiveness of quality protocols and exam protocols. The statistics presented in RaySafe S1 can also help you monitor staff and equipment performance, which in turn lets you identify lab problems or training needs at an early stage, supporting the X-ray department to work at its best.
Cost reduction
In the past, it was easy to see how many waste-scans occurred in any radiology department: you would just look at the amount of films in the bins! But today, many waste-scans go unnoticed in the era of digital radiology. RaySafe S1 solves this problem by tracking the number of waste-scans, while the checklists and reminders help to reduce them. With less unjustified and repeated exams, RaySafe S1 can help radiology departments reduce costs and become more productive.
Regulatory compliance
In RaySafe S1, relevant statistics are visualised and custom-made reports can be easily generated for reporting to the relevant authorities. Such reporting is often based on Dose Reference Levels; a baseline dose value per type of procedure. Development of DRL requires a large statistical base, something which RaySafe S1 handles with ease as it can access historic dose data from the DICOM system. Once DRLs are set, hospitals can use RaySafe S1 to check their current performance against the DRL values and continuously lower the patient doses.
Award winning design
In addition to measurement accuracy, products from Unfors RaySafe are well-known for their ease of use. This has been acknowledged whenRaySafe S1 received the prestigious RedDot design award 2013 for its intuitive usability and innovative design.
About Unfors RaySafe
Unfors RaySafe provides a comprehensive solution for the X-ray room consisting of products which collect radiation information, add value and share it in an easy-to-understand way with all relevant stakeholders.
User friendliness combined with state-of-the-art technology and maximum accuracy form the backbone of the RaySafe’s product range, serving the company’s mission to help people avoid unnecessary radiation and to establish a better radiation safety culture wherever people encounter radiation.
Contact Details:
Unfors RaySafe (India)
21, Blue-Chip Indl. Estate No. 1
Golani Industrial Complex
Waliv, Vasai (East) – 401 208
Tel: (250) 3246144
Email: [email protected]
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