Mailed dose record review of occupational dosimetry records among Japanese medical radiation workers: the OREMS Study

In plain language

Collecting dose records by mail from Japanese medical radiation workers was partly feasible, yielding records for 45% of eligible people. Recorded doses were generally low, with interventional radiologists tending to have higher doses than neuro-spine physicians.

At a glance

Type of study: Original research, Retrospective cohort study
Who was studied: Interventional radiologists, Other physicians, Mixed lab staff
Size: n = 182 individuals
Where: Japan
Topics: Dosimetry and monitoring Eye lens and cataracts Regulation and policy
Summary based on: the abstract

What it found

A mailed dose record review obtained occupational dose information for fewer than half of eligible participants.
Key figures: 182 individuals (44.9% of eligible participants)
Median cumulative effective dose was low, over a median of about 8.5 years of monitoring.
Key figures: 2.3 [25th, 75th percentile: 0.3, 11.7] mSv; 8.5 [3.8, 19.8] years
In the year before surveillance, median annual lens and skin doses were higher than median effective dose.
Key figures: E 0.1 mSv; Heye 0.6 mSv; Hskin 0.6 mSv
Interventional radiology physicians tended to have higher cumulative and annual doses than neuro-spine physicians.
Japan has no national dose registry; records are held by employers, which complicates exposure assessment for epidemiology.

Limits to keep in mind

Descriptive feasibility study with a response rate under 45% among conference attendees, so the doses may not represent all Japanese medical radiation workers; values below detection limits were set to zero, likely underestimating low doses.

SCAI Multi-Society Position Statement on Occupational Health Hazards (2020, Guideline or consensus statement)
Occupational Radiological Protection in Interventional Procedures, ICRP PUBLICATION 139 (2018, Guideline or consensus statement)
Accidents of occupational exposure to ionizing radiation in radiology departments: risks, prevention, and management (2026, Narrative review)
Occupational Protection in Interventional Radiology. A Joint Guideline of the Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiological Society of Europe and the Society of Interventional Radiology (2026, Guideline or consensus statement)
SCAI/ASE/HRS/SIR/SVS Expert Consensus Statement on Enhanced Radiation Protection: Time for Mandatory and Urgent Action (2026, Guideline or consensus statement)

How this summary was made

ORSIF prepared this summary with AI assistance from the abstract of the paper. A program then checked that the passage supporting each finding appears word for word in that source. A person has not yet reviewed each summary, so read the original before relying on a number. ORSIF summarizes research and does not endorse any product or company. Report a problem with this summary.

Prepared November 3, 2026.