[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Re: medical isotopes - patient expense



I'm sure that software is either available or could be easily developed which

would print out a personalized message, after the staff inputs patient and

radionuclide information.  I would guess that the cost would be a few

$0.01/patient; maybe less.



The opinions expressed are strictly mine.

It's not about dose, it's about trust.

Curies forever.



Bill Lipton

liptonw@dteenergy.com



"Celia Rajkovich, RRPT" wrote:



> How much more could it possibly cost an institution to type up instructions

> for each radioisotope test they provide, run them off (bulk)and hand them

> out to the patients along with the discharge instructions.

> The hospitals in my area do not tell you the "details" of your

> "radioisotope procedure" nor do they provide discharge instructions

> pertaining to the rad part of the procedure.

> I know this because I had a thyroid scan last year. I received no details

> before I arrived at the hospital and I was not asked any questions at the

> hospital. I asked the technician what the activity of the Tc-99m was right

> before he injected me.(Boy was he surprised!). Yes, I asked him to please

> check that the activity was correct.

> Following the test,the supervisor brought the film in for me to view. It

> turned in to a field trip.

> I was a walking high rad area when I got home. If I were not a HP I would

> never have known. Some might say that if we don't know we are better off

> (stress etc.)I'm not buying that! I could have went home to a baby, been

> pregnant or maybe I worked in a nursery/daycare and was going to work

> afterwards.

> I think a little extra effort from the nuc med staff is needed.

>

> >> --On Monday, November 24, 2003 9:56 AM -0500 William V Lipton

> >> <liptonw@DTEENERGY.COM> wrote:

> >>

> >> > Maybe I'm missing something, here, but how expensive could it be to

> >> > provide each patient with a sheet of instructions?  I fail to

> >> > understand how you consider providing patients with information on

> >> > what you've done to them, "over the top."

> >> >

> >> > The opinions expressed are strictly mine.

> >> > It's not about dose, it's about trust.

> >> > Curies forever.

> >> >

> >> > Bill Lipton

> >> > liptonw@dteenergy.com

> >> >

> >> > SiegelB@mir.wustl.edu wrote:

> >> >

> >> >> How much are you willing to pay per nuclear medicine procedure for the

> >> >> added cost of providing this information to all patients?  Since this

> >> >> appears to be a very small problem indeed, the proposed solution

> >> >> seems a bit over the top.

> >> >>

> >> >> Note that revised 10 CFR 35.75 actually was a rule that resulted in

> >> >> substantial medical care cost savings, since formerly many of the

> >> >> patients affected by this rule were hospitalized for 2-3 days to

> >> >> protect members of the general public from a radiation hazard.  The

> >> >> cost of providing these patients with oral and written instructions

> >> >> is offset by the costs saved, but this would not apply to the

> >> >> millions of other patients who have nuclear medicine procedures each

> >> >> year.

> >> >>

> >> >> Barry A. Siegel, MD

> >> >> siegelb@mir.wustl.edu

> >> >>

> >> >>

> >> >>                       William V Lipton

> >> >>                       <liptonw@DTEENERGY.COM        To:       Carol

> >> >>                       Marcus <csmarcus@ucla.edu>

> >> >>                       >                             cc:

> >> >>                       >                             knwachter@juno.co

> >> >>                       >                             m,

> >> >>                       >                             radsafe@list.vand

> >> >>                       >                             erb ilt.edu

> >> >>                       Sent by:                      Subject:  Re:

> >> >>                       detecting medical isotopes at airport security

> >> >>                       owner-radsafe@list.van

> >> >>                       derbilt.edu

> >> >>

> >> >>

> >> >>                       11/24/03 06:29 AM

> >> >>                       Please respond to

> >> >>                       William V Lipton

> >> >>

> >> >>

> >> >>

> >> >> 10 CFR 35.75 requires, "...instructions, including written

> >> >> instructions, on actions recommended to maintain doses to other

> >> >> individuals as low as is reasonably achievable if the total effective

> >> >> dose equivalent to any other individual is likely to exceed 1 mSv

> >> >> (0.1 rem)...."

> >> >>

> >> >> I propose that this be revised to:  (1) delete the threshold so that

> >> >> it applies

> >> >> to all nuc med patients, and (2) add a requirement to include

> >> >> information on

> >> >> whether the patient is likely to alarm personnel radiation monitors.

> >> >>

> >> >> The opinions expressed are strictly mine.

> >> >> It's not about dose, it's about trust.

> >> >> Curies forever.

> >> >>

> >> >> Bill Lipton

> >> >> liptonw@dteenergy.com

> >> >>

> >> >> Carol Marcus wrote:

> >> >>

> >> >> > At 12:46 PM 11/21/2003, knwachter@juno.com wrote:

> >> >> >

> >> >> > > Does anyone know of incidents where residual medical isotopes in a

> >> >> > > traveller's body set off radiation monitors at an airport?  A

> >> >> cardiologist

> >> >> > > mentioned to me that he had heard of Tl-201 a day or two after a

> >> >> > > cardiac scan tripping alarms at some airports.  Just curious.

> >> >> > >

> >> >> > > knwachter@juno.com

> >> >> >

> >> >> > Dear Radsafers:

> >> >> >

> >> >> > ...

> >> >>

> >> >> > I really think that

> >> >> > patients who receive radiopharmaceuticals should be given a card the

> >> >> > size of a credit card to carry in their wallet for a few weeks, and

> >> >> > that the card contains all the relevant information and a number to

> >> >> > call to check.  However, I guess that would now be a HIPAA

> >> >> > violation!

> >> >> >

> >> >> > Ciao, Carol

> >> >> >

> >> >> > Carol S. Marcus, Ph.D., M.D.

> >> >> > <csmarcus@ucla.edu>

> >> >> >

> >> >>

> >> >> *********************************************************************

> >> >> *** You are currently subscribed to the Radsafe mailing list. To

> >> >> unsubscribe, send an e-mail to Majordomo@list.vanderbilt.edu  Put the

> >> >> text "unsubscribe radsafe" (no quote marks) in the body of the e-mail,

> >> >> with no subject line. You can view the Radsafe archives at

> >> >> http://www.vanderbilt.edu/radsafe/

> >> >

> >> >

> >> > **********************************************************************

> >> > ** You are currently subscribed to the Radsafe mailing list. To

> >> > unsubscribe, send an e-mail to Majordomo@list.vanderbilt.edu  Put the

> >> > text "unsubscribe radsafe" (no quote marks) in the body of the e-mail,

> >> > with no subject line. You can view the Radsafe archives at

> >> > http://www.vanderbilt.edu/radsafe/

> >> >

> >> >

> >>

> >> Celia Rajkovich, RRPT

> >> Carnegie Mellon University

> >> EH&S - Radiation Safety

> >> Mellon Institute 313 Box 90

> >> Pittsburgh Pa. 15213

> >> Phone 268-7502  Fax 268-1736

> >> This e-mail and any attachments are confidential and also may be

> >> privileged. If you are not the named recipient, or have otherwise

> >> received this communication in error, please delete it from your inbox,

> >> notify the sender immediately, and do not disclose its contents to any

> >> other person, use them for any purpose, or store or copy them in any

> >> medium. Thank you for your cooperation.

>

> ************************************************************************

> You are currently subscribed to the Radsafe mailing list. To

> unsubscribe, send an e-mail to Majordomo@list.vanderbilt.edu  Put the

> text "unsubscribe radsafe" (no quote marks) in the body of the e-mail,

> with no subject line. You can view the Radsafe archives at

> http://www.vanderbilt.edu/radsafe/





************************************************************************

You are currently subscribed to the Radsafe mailing list. To

unsubscribe, send an e-mail to Majordomo@list.vanderbilt.edu  Put the

text "unsubscribe radsafe" (no quote marks) in the body of the e-mail,

with no subject line. You can view the Radsafe archives at

http://www.vanderbilt.edu/radsafe/