Heilbrigðisskýrslur - 04.12.1982, Síða 48

44
Internál Administrative Measures
A number of administrative measures relevant
to patient protection should be taken by the staíf
of an institution. Many of these apply mainly to
hospitals or clinics, but some may be generally
applied. Such measures may be considered in
two categories—physical factors and procedural
factors.
In a hospital it is preferable to place as much
of the x-ray equipment within a radiology
department as is practicable. X-ray rooms should
be of sufficient size and the arrangement of
equipment such as to permit satisfactory opera-
tion. Convenient working arrangements are con-
ducive to efficient and accurate work, and pro-
tective devices are more apt to be used if they
are easily available to the operator. Adequate
equipment, accessories, and dark room facilities
are essential for efficient radiographic practice.
In the special circumstance of radiography,
where numbers of persons are examined sequen-
tially, care must be taken to ensure that those
awaiting examination are adequately protected.
Administrative practices which can contribute
markedly to patient protection include the
following, some of which may possibly in the
future be facilitated by computerized patient
record linkage systems:
(a) In hospitals it is desirable that all radio-
logical equipment and procedures be
placed under the jurisdiction and supervi-
sion of the chief radiologist, even though
some of the equipment may not be located
in the radiology department. The autho-
rity of the chief radiologist to maintain
quality of patient care should be similar
to that exercised in other clinical services.
(b) All requests for examinations should state
precisely the clinical indications and the
information required, and when these
matters are obscure or difficult, prior
consultation between the radiologist and
the referring physician is desirable. Re-
quests should indicate known or suspected
pregnancy in every case.
(c) Before proceeding with a radiological
examination, it is important to ascertain
whether there has been any previous
examination which would make additional
investigation unnecessary.
(d) When a patient is transferred from one
hospital or department to another, any
relevant radiographs and copies of records
should be made available.
(e) Repeat examinations at short intervals
resulting from change in residence or em-
ployment should be avoided.
(f) There should be free interchange and use
of all previous films and reports of radio-
logical examinations, irrespective of their
origin.