Germany's new X-ray ordinance in place
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
The primary aim of Germany's new X-ray ordinance, which came into effect at he beginning of the month, is to improve patient safety. Introduced according to European guidelines, and passed by the Upper House (Bundesrat) in April (see Clinica No 1001, p 6), it will also force doctors and dentists to justify that exposing a patient to radiation is of sufficient medical benefits so as to outweigh any negative effects. This has meant that X-ray documentation has also been improved and patients are now offered an X-ray pass that should enable them to avoid any unnecessary procedures. Radiation exposure levels for patients have been reduced from 1.5 millisievert to 1 millsievert.