Imaging Radiation: Website Draws Controversy

One of the biggest concerns that patients have about getting preventive health screening is that they know there is some exposure to radiation with most imaging exams. Although it is believed that radiation levels are low enough to be safe - and that the risk is worth the reward in terms of early disease detection - patients face fears about the issue. This is due in large part of the fact that they are largely unaware of how much radiation exposure is caused by their screening; lack of information leads to fear. One organization aimed to reduce that fear by providing patients with information about their radiation exposure risk. The company, called the American Imaging Management of Chicago set up a website a few months back which allows patients to check their radiation exposure levels online. It uses an avatar and different exams to offer a guesstimate about radiation exposure levels. The site has drawn significant amounts of controversy. This is because expert radiologists working in the field believe that the information is inaccurate. They also say that it's confusing to the patient, drawing comparisons that aren't easy to understand (and aren't necessarily correct). There is also some question as to the ethics of the site because of the company's relationship with a local health-benefits firm. People - including doctors - do agree that a tool like this could be useful and informative to patients. However, they say that the current site isn't sufficient for providing that information. Changes are recommended if the site is going to continue. Question of the Day: Would you get information about imaging radiation using an online source such as this one?