"We believe parents want to work with their pediatrician to learn about CT scans prior to their child having the study. The parent information pamphlets and medical imaging record card available on the Image Gently website enhance parents' participation in their child's health care and improve health literacy by enhancing communication. We invite radiologists and pediatricians to download the information packets and medical record card and distribute them in their waiting rooms and offices "stated Dorothy Bulas, MD, Professor of Radiology and Pediatrics at the Children's National Medical Center in Washington, DC who is leading the parent component of the Image Gently campaign.

"Parents can make better health care decisions on behalf of their children if they are armed with the correct information. Although medical imaging is increasingly replacing more invasive techniques in all areas of medicine, its risks and rewards may not be entirely understood. These brochures can help allay parents' concerns and help them give better information to providers so that they can make the best possible diagnostic and treatment decisions for their child," said Gerald A. White Jr., MS, FAAPM, chairman of the board of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine.


"Radiologic technologists are the final link in the chain as they perform CT scans," said Connie Mitchell, M.A., R.T. (R)(CT), chairman of the board for the American Society of Radiologic Technologists. "These patient education brochures can provide valuable insights to parents to help them better understand why technologists ask them particular questions and can give them a better context for providing more thorough and productive answers that will help us provide better care."

Background on Image Gently(tm)

As medical imaging exams have replaced more invasive procedures, benefiting patients and revolutionizing medicine, Americans' exposure to medical radiation has increased, raising concerns among imaging providers. Children are particularly more sensitive to radiation received from imaging scans than adults, and cumulative radiation exposure to their smaller, developing bodies could, over time, have adverse effects.

Therefore, providers who perform imaging exams on children are urged to:

* Child-size," the amount of radiation used
* Not to over-scan:
- Scan only when necessary
- Scan only the indicated region
- Scan once; multi phase scanning (pre-and post contrast, delayed exams) is rarely helpful

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