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Shielding Policy

At Diagnostic Imaging Northwest, our commitment to putting patients first means staying up to date on the guidelines and standards put forth by institutions dedicated to patient safety.

After careful evaluation of new patient shielding guidelines, we are updating our policy. TRA Medical Imaging, Diagnostic Imaging Northwest, and Carol Milgard Breast Center will no longer offer shielding to patients during radiology exams. This change in practice is based on many years of research which have shown that shielding of the body offers little or no health benefit.

Not only is shielding ineffective, it may affect exam results by blocking the X-rays used to create clear images we need for diagnosis. Sometimes, this means we need to repeat the examination. In some cases, use of shielding can increase the X-ray output, which can increase your radiation dose and may also result in poor image quality.

Please ask your technologist if you have any questions.

Endorsed by:

  • American Association of Physicists in Medicine
  • American College of Radiology
  • American Society of Radiologic Technologists
  • Image Gently and Image Wisely
  • FDA

Additional resources:

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