title: Radiation dose awareness and disclosure practice in paediatric emergency medicine: how far have we come?
abstract: The past decade has brought increasing coverage in the medical literature and lay media of the potential association between low-level radiation from diagnostic imaging and an increased lifetime cancer risk. Both physician and public opinion increasingly favour a greater discussion of benefit and risk with patients and their families when such imaging is being considered. Particular attention has been directed towards CT, its use in children and the emergency department setting. We will review the evolution of radiation dose awareness and knowledge among emergency physicians (EPs) alongside the parallel increase in public awareness. We will then discuss expectations for risk disclosure and the challenges faced by EPs and radiologists as we strive to provide this in a clinically balanced and meaningful way.
authors.affiliation: 1 Division of Emergency Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, the Hospital for Sick Children, and University of Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Kathy
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Boutis
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Diagnostic Imaging, the Hospital for Sick Children, and University of Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Karen E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Thomas
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002648:Child; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D009381:Neoplasms, Radiation-Induced / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010372:Pediatrics; D010820:Physicians; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000009:adverse effects; D014342:Truth Disclosure
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