Hamad Medical Corporation’s (HMC) Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Department is leading an initiative to assess quality and safety in women’s imaging through a research project supported by Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF).
The research addresses the limited information on image quality and radiation safety related to imaging of women in Qatar
The project is a collaboration between Massachusetts General Hospital in the US and HMC. QNRF had approved a grant of $720,000 for the three-year project in 2016.
The goals of the project are to assess quality and safety in women’s imaging in Qatar, develop guidelines based on obtained data, provide guidance on the implementation of best practices and reassess current practice. Areas of focus include breast imaging such as mammography, imaging in pregnancy and inadvertent radiation exposure among women of
childbearing age.
Dr Huda al-Naemi, executive director of the OHS Department who is leading HMC’s research team, said: “We are glad to have partnered with Massachusetts General Hospital on this exciting project. It will reinforce our efforts to ensure radiation safety across all our facilities and will also help ensure our patients, especially women, are adequately protected against needless exposure to radiation.”
Dr al-Naemi added that HMC was always looking to partner with reputable institutions, regionally and internationally, to improve patient care and maintain its position as a leading healthcare system in the region.
Data for the research project is being collected from HMC hospitals and a team of multidisciplinary experts spanning the fields of clinical radiology, medical physics and radiation protection is involved in the project.
Experts from the US are also providing professional advice on planning studies in Qatar, developing guidelines aligned with best practices and overseeing the implementation and publication of results.
Dr Huda al-Naemi along with HMC staff working on the project.
