Current through Register Vol. 24-18, September 15, 2024
The scope of practice for diagnostic, therapeutic, and
nuclear medicine includes routine tasks such as patient positioning, providing
instruction to patients about the imaging procedure, verifying informed
consent, and documenting the imaging procedure and radiographic image in the
patient's medical record. Radiographic images produced may be in physical form,
such as an X-ray film, or in digital format. The clarification of scope of
practice for each type of radiologic technologist is as follows:
(1) Diagnostic. The procedures a diagnostic
radiologic technologist performs include, but are not limited to:
(a) Standard radiographs or basic or
conventional X-rays;
(b) Bone
densitometry scans or dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry or DEXA scans;
(c) Mammography;
(d) Fluoroscopic procedures;
(e) Computed tomography or CT;
(f) Cardiovascular-interventional
radiography; or
(g) Other imaging
studies involving parenteral procedures, excluding those advanced imaging
procedures identified in WAC
246-926-300.
Nothing in subsection (1) of this section shall be construed
to require that a diagnostic radiologic technologist obtain national
certification for computed tomography.
(2) Therapeutic. A therapeutic radiologic
technologist is part of an interdisciplinary radiation therapy treatment team
which may include, but is not limited to, radiologists, radiation oncologists,
medical physicists, and nurses. A therapeutic radiologic technologist
implements medical dosimetry treatment plans that include, but are not limited
to:
(a) The use of imaging technologies for
simulation and treatment planning;
(b) The use of standard radiographs or CT to
confirm or reconfirm position targets for precise treatment delivery;
(c) The fabrication, and use, of
individualized immobilization devices that assist in precision treatment
delivery;
(d) External beam
radiation therapy or teletherapy, using methods such as:
(i) 3-dimensional conformal radiation
therapy;
(ii) Intensity-modulated
radiation therapy;
(iii)
Image-guided radiation therapy;
(iv) Tomotherapy;
(v) Proton therapy; or
(vi) Other charged particle beams;
(e) Participation in the delivery
of internal radiation therapy or brachytherapy, under the supervision of a
radiation oncologist. However, a therapeutic radiologic technologist cannot
perform invasive, surgical procedures;
(f) Systemic radiation therapy, which uses
radioactive substances such as radioactive iodine;
(g) Palliative radiation therapy, which is
used to treat pain from bone metastases;
(h) Dosimetry, under the supervision of a
medical physicist to design, calculate, and generate effective radiation dose
distributions; or
(i) Diagnostic
CT, provided the therapeutic radiologic technologist has successfully passed a
national certification examination in computed tomography administered by the
ARRT or NMTCB.
(3)
Nuclear medicine. A nuclear medicine technologist prepares, stores,
administers, and disposes of radiopharmaceuticals, which includes sealed and
unsealed radioactive materials, for diagnostic, treatment, and research
purposes in compliance with radioactive materials laws and rules. The
procedures performed at the direction of a licensed practitioner include, but
are not limited to:
(a) Nuclear imaging tests
such as:
(i) Positron-emission tomography or
PET;
(ii) Single photon emission
computed tomography or SPECT;
(iii)
Fusion, hybrid, or simultaneous scanning that combines positron-emission
tomography with:
(A) Computed tomography, or
PET/CT; or
(B) Magnetic resonance
imaging, or PET/MRI;
(iv) Fusion, hybrid, or simultaneous scanning
that combines single photon emission computed tomography with:
(A) Computed tomography or SPECT/CT;
or
(B) Magnetic resonance imaging
or SPECT/MRI;
(v) Planar
imaging or dynamic imaging procedures;
(b) Assists in exercise and pharmacologic
cardiac testing procedures;
(c)
Assists in the preparation, management, and application of radionuclide therapy
treatment;
(d) Collection and
labeling of tissue or body fluid samples;
(e) Managing and proper disposal of
biohazardous, chemical, or radioactive waste materials following applicable
federal and state laws;
(f)
Diagnostic computed tomography, provided the nuclear medicine technologist has
successfully passed a national certification examination in computed tomography
administered by the NMTCB or ARRT.
