I am, by profession, a Rad Tech, and I run the DEXA screening unit at the hospital where I work. I am curious to get feed back from other professionals in my field as to certain points. I live and work in Cyprus, which is on the development roll in the health services, where, previous to our two new, relatively up to date hospitals in two major cities, the monopoly on DEXA scans has always rested with the private sector, where anyone can have any examination done, as long as they can pay. This is especially true of DEXA, until now, when we have the scan on offer in the government hospitals.  The problem for me here is , that I find myself performing scans on patients that do not need them, as trhey do not meet the criteria required to indicate a need for the examination.

As I understand it, the base age over which scans are performed routinely is over 65 years old.  Is this the same in other countries? Also, only certain specialists are supposed to write requests for scans: namely, orthopedic surgeons, endocrinologists, gynaecologists, rheumatologists, and, in certain cases, oncologists. We, at our hospitals, get all sorts of referrals from all types of doctor, even GP's.  This makes for lots of extra work, and a waiting list that is so long it may mean that folks that really need the scan can't get one. There is a form with all the criteria required for a scan to be appropriate, but we get a lot of forms that are not even filled in properly, and lots more that just have sommat ticked to get the patient in, despite the fact that tey are under the required age and pre- menopausal with no other health problems at all. Is this so anywhere else, or are the rules much more tough than those here?

I enjoy my work, but would like to feel that I am doing the right thing for the right folks, and not just helping waste precious resources that could be best used else where.