Medical imaging is a powerful diagnostic tool. Consequently, the number of medical images taken has increased vastly over the past few decades. The most common medical
imaging techniques use X-radiation as the primary investigative tool. The main limitation of using X-radiation is associated with the risk of developing cancers. Alongside this, technology has advanced and more centres now use CT scanners; these can incur significant radiation burdens compared with traditional X-ray imaging systems. The net effect is that the population radiation burden is rising steadily. Risk arising from X-radiation for diagnostic medical purposes
needs minimising and one way to achieve this is through reducing radiation dose whilst optimising image quality. All ages are affected by risk from X-radiation however
the increasing population age highlights the elderly as a new group that may require consideration. Of greatest concern are paediatric patients: firstly they are more sensitive to radiation; secondly their younger age means that the potential
detriment to this group is greater. Containment of radiation exposure falls to a number of professionals within medical fields, from those who request imaging to those who produce the image. These staff are
supported in their radiation protection role by engineers, physicists and technicians. It is important to realise that radiation protection is currently a major European focus of interest and minimum competence levels in radiation protection for radiographers have been defined through the
integrated activities of the EU consortium called MEDRAPET. The outcomes of this project have been used by the European Federation of Radiographer Societies to describe the European Qualifications Framework levels for radiographers in radiation protection. Though variations exist
between European countries radiographers and nuclear medicine technologists are normally the professional groups who are responsible for exposing screening populations and patients to X-radiation. As part of their training they learn fundamental principles of radiation protection and theoretical and practical approaches to dose minimisation.
However dose minimisation is complex – it is not simply about reducing X-radiation without taking into account major contextual factors. These factors relate to the real
world of clinical imaging and include the need to measure clinical image quality and lesion visibility when applying X-radiation dose reduction strategies. This requires the use of validated psychological and physics techniques to measure clinical image quality and lesion perceptibility
