In a California Healthline Special Report, three radiology experts discussed how a proliferation of private medical imaging centers is driving concerns about excessive exposure to radiation.
The Special Report includes comments from:
- William Dillon, chief of diagnostic neuroradiology at UC-San Francisco;
- David Schauer, executive director of the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements; and
- Arl Van Moore, president of the American College of Radiology.
Private medical imaging centers have sprouted up around California to offer consumers for several hundred dollars CT scans without a doctor's referral. The scans can aid early diagnosis of cancers or heart disease, but many experts are concerned about the level of radiation exposure from the procedures.
Van Moore's group has developed "appropriateness criteria" to help consumers weigh the risks and benefits of such scans (Kennedy, California Healthline, 10/6).