The British Institute of Radiology (BIR) has released a position statement on training nonmedical referrers to ensure that they comply with the 2017 Ionizing Radiation Medical Exposure Regulations (IRMER) in the U.K. when referring patients to radiology.
Each nonmedical referrer should undergo appropriate training at periodic interval and also have access to a physician mentor, according to BIR. The training should cover the principles of radiation protection, radiation regulation, and the proper radiation dose levels required for various types of exams, among other topics.
The BIR position statement also included several governance principles for nonmedical referrers, including being logged on a register held by a radiology service, undergoing an annual audit, and engaging in continuing professional development within their scope of practice.
