1. Schedule regular equipment checks. Imaging equipment can help physicians make life-saving diagnoses and perform treatments that would never have been possible 20 years ago — but only when it’s working correctly. Best practices include communicating regularly with the product manufacturer and keeping up on product maintenance.
2. Require training for all employees and physicians. No one should be operating any piece of equipment without comprehensive training. Initial training isn’t enough—schedule periodic reviews for seasoned employees to ensure they are using the equipment correctly.
3. Use a digital dosimetry badge to keep track of employees’ and physicians’ radiation exposure. Monitoring staff to ensure adherence to wearing a badge can be challenging, especially when using film, TLD or OSL dosimetry badges, which must be collected and read every month or quarter. When employees use the Instadose+ dosimetry badge, reports can be accessed when necessary, daily if needed, to determine how much dose each user has received. Pinpointing and resolving problems as they occur is a good way to ensure the continual safety of staff.

By following the above recommendations, adherence to federal regulations can be accomplished and preparation for any audits can be easily achieved.