Radiation control: health facilities and clinics: records.

Under existing law, the State Department of Public Health licenses and regulates health facilities and clinics, as defined. Under the existing Radiation Control Law, the department licenses and regulates persons that use devices or equipment utilizing radioactive materials. Under existing law, the department is authorized to require registration and inspection of sources of ionizing radiation, as defined. Existing law, commencing July 1, 2012, requires that a facility using a computed tomography (CT) X-ray system record the dose of radiation on every CT study produced. Existing law requires that the displayed dose of radiation be verified annually by a medical physicist to ensure the accuracy of the displayed dose unless the facility is accredited. Violations of these provisions are a crime. This bill would require the facility to record the dose of radiation on every diagnostic CT study in each patient's record and would exempt the dose of radiation in specified CT studies from having to be recorded. This bill would delete the exemption for accredited facilities and would authorize a facility with an accredited CT X-ray system to elect not to annually verify the displayed dose of radiation, as specified. Because accredited facilities could now be subject to these provisions, and because a violation of these provisions is a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program by expanding the scope of a crime. The bill also would require the dose to be verified for the facility's standard adult brain, adult abdomen, and pediatric brain protocols. Existing law, commencing July 1, 2013, requires facilities that furnish CT X-ray services to be accredited by an approved organization, as specified. This bill instead would require CT X-ray systems, with specified exceptions, to be accredited by an approved organization, as specified. Existing law, commencing July 1, 2012, requires a facility to report the discovery of certain information about an event in which the administration of radiation results in prescribed occurrences, including the CT X-ray irradiation of an area of the body other than that intended, within 5 business days of the discovery of the event, to the department and the patient's referring physician. This bill would instead require a facility to report a CT X-ray examination for any individual for whom a physician did not provide approval for the examination, as well as a CT X-ray examination that does not include the intended area of the body, if specified dose values are exceeded. This bill would require that these reports be made within 5 business days of the discovery of a therapeutic event and within 10 business days of the discovery of a CT event. The bill would also make technical and clarifying changes. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.