A very important distinction was received by Affidea Greece at this year’s Patient Partnerships Awards 2022 ceremony, which concerns the radiation dose optimization protocol during the CT scan performed exclusively by Affidea Group.
The Patient Partnerships Awards is an annual nationwide event that highlights the best practices in the Healthcare sector. These practices aim to improve the quality of life of patients and vulnerable populations, to inform, educate and raise public awareness. In the context of highlighting the most important initiatives in the Healthcare sector, Affidea Greece was honored with an Award in the Quality Improvement Initiative section, where it participated with the “Dose Excellence” Dose Optimization campaign, while being the Major Supporter of the event.
Affidea Group has launched the European-wide and exclusive Dose Optimization campaign “Dose Excellence”, in collaboration with the manufacturing company GE Healthcare, with the aim of making CT scans safer. This is achieved by continuously controlling the radiation dose in each CT scan with the aim of keeping it as low as possible to ensure the best image quality with high diagnostic value. In addition, the radiation dose is individualized for each patient, depending on their characteristics and the type of examination.
The aim of the initiative is the continuous improvement and upgrading of the quality of the Group’s medical services, while the minimization of radiation dose levels is achieved by: the contribution of a leading team of highly trained medical professionals who determine the balance between the lowest possible radiation dose and the optimal diagnostically produced image (Balanced Radiography), the use of top medical equipment that is replaced and upgraded according to strict standards, the submission of the equipment to thorough quality checks carried out by specialized personnel of the Group, the monitoring of the radiation dose levels and the control of the cumulative dose, with the aim of regulating and adapting it to each patient, aiming at the production of perfect diagnostic images, the continuous training of the staff in the optimization of the parameters of the computed tomography protocols, aiming at the lowest possible radiation dose in each examination, without affecting the quality of the image.
Affidea Group is the only one at primary care level that implements the Dose Excellence protocol pan-European, while all the Centers participating in the campaign have been honored by the European Society of Radiology (ESR) for their contribution to patient safety as towards radiation dose, with EuroSafe Imaging Stars, while being listed on the ‘Wall of Stars’ alongside the cream of Europe’s hospitals. Application of Dose Excellence at Affidea Diagnostic Centers includes:
- Increased awareness regarding the radiation dose, so that all staff faithfully adhere to the Group’s dose optimization policy (Dose awareness).
- A dedicated team of specialized professionals who review radiation dose records, optimize protocols and develop best practices. The team includes a Radiologist, Technologist, Radiophysicist and Clinical Applications Specialist.
- Transparency and continuous information of the examinees who trust us regarding radiation dose and our practices.
CEO of Affidea Greece, Mr. Theodoros Karoutzos, said: “A foundation stone for the creation of Affidea was the shared desire of the team’s scientists not only to meet the real needs of patients, but to bring health science closer to the man. The consistency in the valid and complete diagnosis and the respect for the examinee have today established Affidea as the most reliable primary health care provider in Greece, contributing significantly to the work of the medical community and improving the quality of life of citizens. Our initiatives and the effort of our experienced and renowned doctors are consistently recognized, and admittedly the protocol to ensure the lowest radiation dose during the examinations is a milestone for the health services in Greece”.
The award was received by the Vice President of Affidea Greece and the Hellenic Vascular Society, Scientific Director of Affidea Central, angiologist-radiologist, Mr. Nikolaos Liassis.
