I appreciate the effort of TG preparing the report on such a complicated subject. Minor comments are as follows.
Specific comments
page |
line |
As is |
Comments |
4 |
115 |
Required education and training in ethics is essential for medical radiological protection workers |
Education and training in underlying ethics is essential for medical radiological workers Not limited to the radiological protection workers. |
5 |
137 |
Professionals working in radiological protection in medicine are expected to adhere to their organisation’s Codes of Ethics |
Professionals working in medicine are expected to adhere to their profession’s(?) Codes of Ethics |
8 |
259 |
adopted by the ICRP |
adopted by the Commission |
8 |
277 |
and race and x-ray registry of the population |
Meaning is unclear. |
10 |
352 |
into local and national radiotherapy protocols |
into the radiotherapy protocols Questionable if there are national protocols. |
10 |
362 |
this has sometimes reduced unnecessary imaging |
What does ‘this’ indicate? |
11 |
406, 415 |
ICRP |
Commission |
11 |
420 |
Table 2.1. |
The levels of justification in the medical context differ from those explained in Publication 105(para. 60). See para. 204 in this draft document. |
12 |
422 |
Table 2.1. General description of Optimisation. … makes exposures, and the probability and magnitude of potential exposures, as low as |
… makes exposures, and the risk of potential exposures, as low as |
12 |
422 |
In the medical context Sometimes the best patient protection may involve high occupational doses for staff (ICRP, 2018b). |
(delete) Not a key point. |
12 |
422 |
Limitation … to ensure that the radiation risk is acceptable |
Application of dose limits … to avoid unacceptable risk. |
13 |
439 |
Table 2.3. |
Contents of the 3rd column giving examples in Publication 138 are not relevant to ethics in medicine. Better to delete them. |
13 |
453 |
addressing all possible exposure situations |
addressing all exposure situations |
17 |
513 |
In the history of ICRP, |
Historically, |
25 |
912, 915 |
Comforters and carers |
In Commission’s recommendations, ‘carers and comforters’ should mean those helping or comforting patients whose informed exposure being regarded as a medical exposure. To avoid confusion, we may use ‘caregivers’ here. |
26 |
955 |
to their organisation’s Codes of Ethics |
to their profession’s Codes of Ethics |
26 |
965 |
|
May add the IRPA Code of ethics. |
28 |
1038 |
specific clinical approaches to the practical implementation of ethical values have been developed |
approaches to the practical implementation of ethical values in specific clinical practices have been developed The term ‘clinical approaches’ may misleading. |
28 |
1041, 1046 |
clinical approaches |
approaches |
29 |
1075 |
The Imaging Wisely and Imaging Gently |
The Image Wisely and Image Gently |
33 |
1268 |
Subsection 3.3.5 |
Different terms are used without explanations: ‘radiological protection culture’, ‘radiation safety culture’, ‘radiological safety culture’. |
34 |
1296 |
to radiological protection workers |
to radiological protection in medicine |
36 |
1380 |
Para 152 |
Better to make the key message focused safety culture in the context of ethics in radiological procedures in medicine. |
38 |
1455 |
47 years of lifespan |
47 years of working-age span |
38 |
1465 |
optimisation of patient imaging |
optimisation of patient protection |
38 |
1468 |
International Radiation Safety Standards |
International Basic Safety Standards |
39 |
1478 |
The second reason is that 1479 a given tissue reaction is not solely determined by a given level of dose but varies according to 1480 the individual radiosensitivity. |
Different sensitivity among individuals does not nullify concept of ‘deterministic’. |
44 |
1721 |
the right NOT to know |
Is this a right or a freedom? |
47 |
1822 |
are almost entirely based |
are largely based |
47 |
1836 |
a matter for national professional bodies, health and regulatory authorities |
a matter for professional bodies, national health and regulatory authorities |
48 |
1888 |
the principle of “doing more good than harm” justification amounts to considering only the ethical values of beneficence/non-maleficence at the expense of others |
This conclusive statement is questionable. Both ‘good’ and ‘harm’ are multidimensional and inclusive attributes, and may be related to other ethical values like justice or inequity, not just beneficence and maleficence although this has not been explicitly presented in the interpretation. |
49 |
1912 |
This training includes staff protection for the justification and optimisation of medical exposures which may require high staff exposures for patient optimisation See Chapter VII on Medical Exposures, art. 55 to art. 64. Art.19 Justification of practices) |
This training includes staff protection. Training for staff protection is weakly related to justification and optimization of medical exposure. The listed articles of EU BSS may not be relevant. |
49 |
1920 |
optimisation may require personalised care in pregnant patients who may have difficulties with normal positioning in lifesaving, urgent interventional procedures or in young children who have difficulty with motion, sometimes requiring sedation/anaesthesia. |
These tailored care for pregnant patients or children may be just necessary and good practice rather than a part of optimisation. |
55 |
2001 |
Cases in sections 6 and 7. |
Those scenario cases are almost reproduction of the work of J. Malone et al.(2019). May need a paragraph or footnote explicitly expressing thanks for the permission, in addition to the citation. |
80 |
2893 |
the possibility of risk |
the associated risk Risk encompasses possibility. |
80 |
2908, 2932 |
the greatest possible benefit at the lowest possible risk |
the greatest benefit at the lowest risk |
81 |
2945 |
principles of radiation radiological protection |
principles of radiological protection |
81 |
2949 |
However, there will be times where an ethical dilemma requires a formal, explicit response from a professional and graduates should be prepared to process these situations clearly and systematically while presenting their ethical reasons for their decisions to others. |
Strike out(duplication of the next para.) |
81 |
2952 |
graduates should be |
professionals should be |
81 |
2956 |
Students and graduates |
Professionals ? |
84 |
3097 |
the current ICRP document |
the current document |
102 |
3825 |
religion, etc., protected by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. |
religion, etc. |