Safety Committee Update & Introduction of a New MR Safety Page

Over the past few years, as our profession has grown in line with the burgeoning number of sites utilizing MRI systems, it has become apparent to the SMRT Policy Board and the ISMRM Board of Trustees that there is a need to show leadership in the area of MRI safety education. In 2011 a direct approach was formulated to address not only the need for quality MR safety education but the safety concerns of our members worldwide as well.

Our goal is to advocate at all levels, with education being the primary focus. As with all large initiatives, this has been a protracted process; however, we have made great strides in the past few years, and we are proud of the work being done by the committee as well as dedicated MR professionals in many countries who are contributing to our initiatives.

Currently, the SMRT Safety Committee is in the process of merging with the ISMRM Safety Committee, with both committees confident that the sum will be greater than the parts. Together we will have increased ability to leverage resources from within the MR community, providing a more prominent voice in discussions with external MR-related decision-making bodies. The combined committee will also benefit from the experience and initiative of the technologists who are at the coalface in relation to MR safety, making daily decisions regarding patient safety and implanted devices.

To give you a small example of what is going on behind the scenes to improve the lives of MR technologists in relation to safety practices, here is a run-down of Safety Committee activities to date.

Education – New Safety Page with links to newly-commissioned, comprehensive Safety Video collection for CEU and Level 1 and 2 requirements, plus other MR Safety information and topical reports.

Social media – Members are participating actively in the discussions on several sites to exchange protocols, safety information, articles and advice.

List-Serve – The single best resource, for answers to MR safety questions and concerns and advice on other safety-related issues.

Advocacy – Our committee members participate in discussions and projects with regulatory agencies such as the FDA, committees such as the MT 40 and IEC Safety groups, as well as raising our profile by presenting guest lectures for related educational societies and conferences. In addition, significant progress has been made in securing consensus among a number of European and international organizations with a vested interest in the management of MR safety.

This is your Safety Committee and our main objective is to provide relevant education and information to our members in order to support you in working safely in your everyday practice. We hope that our new Safety Page will become a primary resource, and we invite you to join us as we continue on our path of understanding MR safety concerns and educating ourselves in all safety issues.

We recognize that this is no small task; however, we want to ensure that we are doing all we can to provide resources and lend support to our members so that they can continue to care for their patients in a safe environment.

Please take a moment to visit the new Safety page and review the information. We think you will be pleased and we welcome your input or suggestions.

Vera Kimbrell, B.S., R.T. (R)(MR)
SMRT Safety Committee Chair 2017

Scott Reeder, M.D., Ph.D.
ISMRM Safety Committee Chair 2017

And the SMRT and ISMRM Safety Committees