iPhone Application Estimates Radiation Exposure
Friday May 1, 2009
A new iPhone application by Mark Baerlocher, MD helps you determine how much radiation you've been exposed to already, as well as how much radiation any potential diagnostic tests may expose you to. As patients, it is our responsibility to keep track of the tests we're undergoing. A physician may prescribe tests not knowing what other tests have been done by other physicians or at other health care facilities. Dr Baerlocher envisions this application as a way for patients to monitor their own radiation exposure, and to use as a discussion point with their health care team when determining if more tests are needed. Get this application.
Have you tried this application? Click on "comments" below and let me know how you're using it!
Comments
I saw this the first week it come out. Works great for me – and very interesting to know this information!
Does it work on blackberry?
Hi Jeremy,
at least for now, it’s only available on the iPhone or iPod Touch. We were looking at creating the program for the blackberry too, so stay tuned…!
Mark
mark@tidalpool.ca
Does it tell you how much it (the iphone) is exposing individuals to radiation exposure?? Now that would be “Genius”
Radiation Passport does not take into account cell phone radiation.
Radiation and the associated risks from cell phones are still very controversial and hotly debated.
However, the type of radiation emitted from cell phones is generally non-ionizing (e.g. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-ionizing_radiation). The type of radiation that is included in cancer risk estimates e.g. by the BEIR VII committee and many others is ‘ionizing’.
Neat. What about airplane flights? I’ve heard pilots get a lot of radiation since they’re closer to the sun.
I notice that there aren’t too many medical programs for the iphone compared to the number of games. It’s funny how people would rather have fun than be informed about their own health!
Yes, this application takes air travel into account!
Out of interest – an article just came out in the Canadian Medical Association Journal on this:
http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/reprint/181/3-4/E50.pdf
That is a great article! I think the best course of action is to share information with your physician, and to come to a decision regarding testing together. It is absolutely “fair” for patients to have information regarding tests that will be done, but it’s important for them to seek a qualified medical opinion too!