Pilot Studies to Prevent Developmental Exposure to Ionizing Radiation from Medical Imaging

Despite ionizing radiation being a well-known environmental breast carcinogen and several policy interventions targeting CT scans overutilization, current evidence on effective interventions are sparse and of low quality.

As part of our program-directed initiatives, CBCRP intends to fund up to 3 pilot studies that aim to test the feasibility of an intervention to reduce exposures to ionizing radiation from medical imaging among girls (0-18 years) through preliminary effectiveness data.

Download the RFP below.

Full Request for Proposal (pdf)

Application materials are available on proposalCENTRAL.

An informational webinar for this funding opportunity was held on August 23, 2016.  The archived webinar is available here: https://youtu.be/t5uxHD23D0o

Project Guidelines

The intervention(s) must focus on reducing exposure to ionizing radiation from medical imaging (i.e. by reducing the dose of radiation from medical imaging and/or reducing the number of procedures; in other words inconsistent dose optimization and imaging overutilization).

All projects should fulfill the following criteria:

1. Assess an already existing intervention. This solicitation is not for intervention development.
2.  Intervene at the institutional‐level, including but not limited to a health care facility or system.
3. Intervention must address the reduction and/or standardization of the number or dosage for girls, ages 0-18 years.
4. Applicants from academic settings are encouraged to collaborate with non-academic settings.
5. Formally and rigorously document the preliminary evidence of the intervention(s) changes at the institutional level in reduced number and/or standardized dosage across and among providers and patients.
6. Study design and methodologies must address and overcome potential threats to internal and external validity should the study be taken to scale. 
7.  Gather information on behavioral and organizational opportunities and barriers to adoption and implementation of the intervention(s).
8. Quantitatively assess the impact of the intervention by utilizing patient doses recorded pursuant to compliance with California Medical Radiation Safety Act (H+S Code 115113).
9. Demonstrate capacity to monitor and track dose levels and number of tests as part of the pilot study.

Project Budget and Duration

It is anticipated that funding will be available for this initiative to support three pilot projects, each with a maximum direct cost budget of $150,000 and a maximum duration of 1 year to test one or more interventions to prevent medically unnecessary exposure among girls 0-18 years to ionizing radiation from medical imaging in California.