What it is:
Radiation Passport is an application for the iPhone that helps people with chronic conditions, including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), monitor the amount of radiation exposure that is occurring during routine testing. People with IBD often undergo repeated tests to monitor the course of their disease. The developer, Mark Baerlocher, MD, hopes the application will help patients, physicians, and dentists to better understand the radiation risks, including cancer, associated with medical imaging tests.
How it works:
To keep track of imaging procedures, users record the type of exam, the date it took place, the dosage, and any applicable notes into the log. The application also takes into account other sources of radiation exposure such as background radiation and air travel. Radiation Passport then calculates how the total radiation exposure from all these sources translates into cancer risk. These results can then be viewed in a variety of graphs for comparison purposes, and emailed.
The database includes over 140 types of medical imaging tests, allowing users to determine the cancer risk associated with each. Also included is a background section, with links to the source material (such as research and reports) that was used to develop the application.
Who might use it:
Anyone who has concerns about their radiation exposure from medical tests, especially patients who see multiple physicians, or who go to multiple locations for tests. An accurate record of tests and dates can help the patient communicate with their physicians, and determine the appropriateness of future testing.
How much it costs:
Radiation Passport is $2.99. The developer has plans to expand this application for use on the Blackberry and add more features in future releases.
Where you can find out more and download:
You can find out more and contact the developer at Tidal Pool Software.
