Radiation Protection in Medicine: Achieving Changes in Practice (Conclusions and Recommendations of 2017 IAEA Conference)

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) held the “International Conference on Radiation Protection in Medicine: Setting the Scene for the Next Decade” in Bonn, Germany, in December 2012, with the specific purpose of identifying and addressing issues arising in radiation protection in medicine. The conference was co-sponsored by the World Health Organization (WHO), hosted by the Government of Germany through the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety. An important outcome of the conference was the identification of responsibilities and a proposal for priorities for stakeholders regarding radiation protection in medicine for the next decade. This specific outcome is the Bonn Call-for-Action.

The aims of the Bonn Call-for-Action are to a) strengthen the radiation protection of patients and health workers overall; b) attain the highest benefit with the least possible risk to all patients by the safe and appropriate use of ionizing radiation in medicine; c) aid the full integration of radiation protection into health care systems; d) help improve the benefit/risk-dialogue with patients and the public; and e) enhance the safety and quality of radiological procedures in medicine. Based on the above, 10 actions were defined as essential to improve radiation safety in medicine over a 10 years period. These actions are:

1. Enhance the implementation of the principle of justification
2. Enhance the implementation of the principle of optimization of protection and safety
3. Strengthen manufacturers’ role in contributing to the overall safety regime
4. Strengthen radiation protection education and training of health professionals
5. Shape and promote a strategic research agenda for radiation protection in medicine
6. Increase availability of improved global information on medical exposures and occupational exposures in medicine
7. Improve prevention of medical radiation incidents and accidents
8. Strengthen radiation safety culture in health care
9. Foster an improved radiation benefit-risk-dialogue
10. Strengthen the implementation of safety requirements globally

The purpose of the meeting that took place in December 2017 was to review the actions taken, developments and implementation of measures since 2012 in the frame of the by the Bonn Call-for-Action by all relevant parties. Topical sessions as well as roundtables were conducted where representatives from countries, organizations and hospitals presented performed activities for the improvement of the patient and staff radiation safety.

As a conclusion of the meeting it can be stated that the Bonn Call-for-Action is working. There is an increase in the number of publications dealing with radiation protection in medicine, regional and national programs are being implemented, actions were taken and tools were implemented by various organizations and changes in patient and staff doses were observed.