Health Phys. 2026 May 1. doi: 10.1097/HP.0000000000002156. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
Medical workers represent the largest occupationally exposed population to ionizing radiation, yet traditional radiation protection management often operates in departmental silos. This study aimed to develop and evaluate an integrated multidisciplinary management framework for enhancing radiation protection in tertiary hospitals. This retrospective study was conducted at a tertiary hospital in China from January 2020 to December 2024, including 510 radiation workers across diagnostic imaging, radiation therapy, interventional radiology, and cardiovascular departments. The study comprised three phases: baseline (2020), intervention (2021-2023), and evaluation (2024). An administrative multidisciplinary team incorporating Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle methodology was established to implement comprehensive radiation protection management. Following framework implementation, the average annual effective dose decreased from 0.54 mSv to 0.34 mSv, and the annual collective effective dose declined from 212.66 to 133.12 person-mSv. The proportion of workers receiving doses exceeding 1 mSv decreased from 6.27% to 3.33% (P<0.001). Implementation indicators also improved significantly: certification rate increased from 90.39% to 100%, annual training completion rate from 81.57% to 98.63%, and personal dosimetry monitoring rate from 92.75% to 100% (all P<0.001). The integrated multidisciplinary radiation protection management framework effectively reduced occupational radiation exposure and improved protection compliance across all departments, providing a replicable model for large general hospitals.
PMID:42065649 | DOI:10.1097/HP.0000000000002156