The Psychological Barriers to Discontinuing Shielding
Many people feel uneasy about radiation because, yes, in large amounts, radiation can be harmful. However, the amount of radiation our imaging machines require to produce a clear image is about one-twentieth of what it was in the 1950’s. In more recently published scientific materials, The American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) and the American College of Radiology (ACR) no longer support using radiation shields for imaging exams.
At academic medical centers like UVA Health, teams of expert physicians and physicists met to thoroughly look over the literature and guidelines before deciding to implement this change. Many health care specialists know this practice has been deeply ingrained into the minds of both patients and providers. These teams of experts did not take the decision to discontinue shielding as a routine practice lightly.
Applying a substantial change in routine practice is not easy. Many patients who have long been comforted by the thought that the shielding was protecting their bodies may experience psychological discomfort or anxiety. However, you should not fear an imaging exam without a shield. We now know that shielding is unnecessary, and does not provide any health benefit.