Resolve, To Ensure Patient Safety in the Use of Certain Imaging Equipment

Sec. 1. Review of use of cone beam computed tomography scanners. Resolved: That the Advisory Committee on Radiation, as created in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 22, section 675-A, and the Board of Dental Examiners, as established in Title 5, section 12004-A, subsection 10, referred to in this resolve as "the committee and the board," shall jointly review the licensing, required operator training and continuing education requirements and state oversight of cone beam computed tomography scanners, as used in dental offices. This review must include an assessment of whether current rules and practices relating to these scanners are sufficient to protect the public, including both child and adult patients. This review must consider the cumulative risk posed to a person from all sources of radiation to which that person is exposed over the course of that person’s lifetime; and be it further

Sec. 2. Demographic information. Resolved: That the Department of Health and Human Services, Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Environmental Health, Radiation Control Program shall collect from all dentists who register a cone beam computed tomography scanner with the program demographic information to be determined by the program for each patient under the age of 16 who receives a cone beam computed tomography scan from October 1, 2011 to January 1, 2012. This demographic information must include the diagnosis attained from the cone beam computed tomography scan. The program shall report this demographic information to the committee and the board. The committee and the board shall consider this demographic information as part of their review; and be it further

Sec. 3. Participation invited. Resolved: That in conducting their review, the committee and the board shall invite the participation of providers of dental services, dental patients, consumer representatives and experts in environmental health; and be it further

Sec. 4. Recommendations. Resolved: That the committee and the board shall develop recommendations regarding proposed rules and other guidance to improve the licensing and operation of cone beam computed tomography scanners and appropriate training and continuing education requirements for operators of these scanners; and be it further

Sec. 5. Report. Resolved: That the committee and the board shall report their findings, including any recommended legislation, to the Joint Standing Committee on Health and Human Services and the Joint Standing Committee on Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development no later than February 1, 2012. The Joint Standing Committee on Health and Human Services or the Joint Standing Committee on Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development may submit a bill to the Second Regular Session of the 125th Legislature on the subject matter of the report of the committee and the board.

summary

This resolve requires the Advisory Committee on Radiation and the Board of Dental Examiners to review the licensing, required operator training and continuing education requirements and state oversight of cone beam computed tomography scanners, as used in dental offices. This review must include an assessment of whether current rules and practices relating to these scanners are sufficient to protect the public, including both child and adult patients. This resolve requires the Department of Health and Human Services, Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Environmental Health, Radiation Control Program to collect demographic information from dentists about minor patients who receive a scan from October 1, 2011 to January 1, 2012 and report this information to the committee and the board. The committee and the board shall report their findings, including any recommended legislation, to the Joint Standing Committee on Health and Human Services and the Joint Standing Committee on Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development no later than February 1, 2012. The Joint Standing Committee on Health and Human Services or the Joint Standing Committee on Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development may submit a bill to the Second Regular Session of the 125th Legislature on the subject matter of the report of the committee and the board.