Study-Unit Description

Study-Unit Description


CODE RAD1064

 
TITLE Radiation Safety

 
UM LEVEL 01 - Year 1 in Modular Undergraduate Course

 
MQF LEVEL 5

 
ECTS CREDITS 4

 
DEPARTMENT Radiography

 
DESCRIPTION This study-unit has been designed to give students the knowledge and skills in protecting patients, themselves and others from the possible effects of radiation in the clinical context. It also satisfies the education and training requirements dictated by current European and National regulations.

Apart from lecture sessions, the study-unit will include fieldwork activities that will allow students to apply theoretical principles into clinical practice (under supervision).

Study-Unit Aims:

The study-unit aims to:

- Ensure that students are able to protect patients, themselves, and others from the effects of ionising radiation;
- Ensure that students are able to apply and implement radiation safety principles and procedures, such as justification, optimisation and dose limitation, into clinical practice; and
- Satisfy the education and training requirements dictated by European and National regulations.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Knowledge & Understanding:

By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:

- Describe the system of radiation protection and the need for basic safety standards in relation to the use of ionising radiation in clinical practice;
- Describe relevant atomic, biological and nuclear physics concepts
- Explain the interaction of radiation with matter
- Explain the biological effects of ionising radiation
- Discuss the ICRP principles of justification, optimisation and dose limitation as applied to radiography practice;
- Define the principal dose quantities and units applicable to radiography practice;
- Explain the principles of risk assessment and risk management;
- Describe the methods for measuring patient and occupational doses in radiography;
- Describe the system of radiation protection organisation in hospitals;
- Be knowledgable of EU and local legislation and documentation regarding safety from ionising radiation;
- Explain the principles of clinical audits; and
- Explain the procedures for protection of the unborn child.

2. Skills:

By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:

- Apply radiation protection measures in clinical practice in accordance to European and National regulations;
- Optimise radiation exposure to the patient, staff and public;
- Perform risk assessment in radiography practice;
- Justify medical imaging and radiotherapy exposures, making use of referral guidelines; and
- Communicate adequate benefit-risk information related to the radiation dose associated with radiography procedures.

Main Text/s and any supplementary readings:

Relevant ICRP, EU, Maltese legislation and documentation.

- Dendy P. P. & Heaton B. (2012) Physics for Diagnostic Radiology, 3rd Ed Institute of Physics Publishing. CRC Press
- Martin C. J., Dendy P. P., & Corbett R.H. eds. (2003) Medical imaging and radiation protection for medical students and clinical staff. London: British Institute of Radiology.
- Dendy P. P., & Corbett R.H. eds. Medical imaging and radiation protection for medical students and clinical staff. London: British Institute of Radiology.
- Sherer, MAS, Visconti, PJ; Ritenour, ER; Haynes, K. (2013) Radiation Protection in Medical Radiography. 8th 7th Edition. Elsevier.

 
ADDITIONAL NOTES Please note that a pass in each assessment component is obligatory for an overall pass mark to be awarded.

 
STUDY-UNIT TYPE Lecture and Independent Study

 
METHOD OF ASSESSMENT
Assessment Component/s Assessment Due Sept. Asst Session Weighting
Fieldwork [See Add. Notes] SEM1 Yes 15%
Fieldwork [See Add. Notes] SEM1 Yes 15%
Examination [See Add. Notes] (1 Hour) SEM1 Yes 70%

 
LECTURER/S Paul Bezzina
Karen Borg Grima
Jose Guilherme Couto
Edward Gruppetta
Deborah Mizzi
Jonathan Loui Portelli (Co-ord.)

 

 
The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints.
Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice.
It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years.

https://www.um.edu.mt/course/studyunit