What are the ethical issues facing radiologic technology?
With the continual invention and improvement of lifesaving medical technology also comes the burden of ethical decision making. Radiologists today face more ethical issues than meet the eye.Unnecessary TestingWhen a radiologist receives an order for a test, the first step is to consider whether the test is truly necessary. Radiologists are ethically responsible to expose the patient to as little potentially harmful testing as possible.Patient PrivacyThe perfection of radiological equipment allows for more and more detailed scans of a patient’s body. While this is highly beneficial for diagnosis, it can become a violation of the patient’s privacy if these images are not appropriately protected during storage.MammographyAnother concern in radiology is the widespread use of mammography, which leads to a high number of false diagnoses. According to a 2005 article in the Indian Journal of Medical Ethics, it is estimated that it takes between 5,000 and 68,000 mammograms to prevent one death
