A question of ethics

[Devane Clarke <DCLARKE@smtpgate.tnrcc.state.tx.us>]

I thought this might make an interesting
thread for late on a Friday afternoon. 
Last week I went the hospital for a CAT
scan.  The results turned out okay, no
malignancies, thank goodness.  On my way
out of the examining room, I asked the
technician to tell me how much radiation
dose I had received from the procedure.

He said that he didn't know, and that I
should talk to the doctor in charge.  The
doctor advised me that he couldn't give me
an exact figure, but the dose was less than
the amount I would have received from a
more traditional x-ray procedure.  In
short, I didn't get a straight answer to my
question.  I also got the impression that I
would never have even seen a real doctor or
been given the opportunity to discuss the
procedure, had I not asked a "loaded"
question.

So, now I am posing these questions to all
of you.  As radiation safety professionals,
don't we have an ethical obligation to
provide accurate dosimetry information?  As
patients, do we abrogate our right to know
or to make informed choices when undergoing
voluntary diagnostic procedures?  I
personally believe that good information is
the basis for good decisions, and it makes
for pretty good science, too.

Well, I'll get off my soapbox now.  I hope
you all have a great weekend!

Devane Clarke