Patient exposure to radiation has doubled in 20 years, with patients potentially undergoing multiple studies and scans over their lifetime. In response, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has undertaken an initiative to reduce unnecessary radiation exposure from medical imaging using the principle of As Low As Reasonably Achievable (ALARA). Following this principle, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) requirements outline safety precautions a hospital should take to decrease radiation exposure.
This program will cover all the hospital radiology and nuclear medicine standards required for hospitals from CMS, including 41 pages of changes that were enacted in 2015. Every hospital that accepts Medicare or Medicaid must be in compliance with these regulations and interpretive guidelines.