How would I report illegal x-ray practices and to whom?

Question

My brother-in-law was being seen in his local hospital's ER hallway (as all the rooms were full). A portable x-ray was taken of the bed beside him in the open hallway. That is illegal since it's ionizing radiation in the air and it scatters to whatever it can find to absorb into. He also had to get a CT scan and the tech said "oh this'll kill all your little swimmers." This hospital obviously has very poor radiation practices and they are unprofessional. She wants to know who she can contact to report this to, and I don't have any idea. I suggested OSHA (since they also regulate radiation in a hospital) but i don't even know how to do that. Any suggestions?

to clarify - a patient who was also in the hall with my brother-in-law had an x-ray taken of her right there in the hallway. Not only is that a privacy issue but it is also a safety concern. Portable x-rays are not to be done in common areas where there is no protection. (i know because i am an R.T.(R) myself. I'm a CT tech. And to say "this'll kill your little swimmers" IS unprofessional. And it also makes a joke of something that is real and PS they are trying to concieve right now as her doctor has told her if she wants another child she has to do it now before it is too late....i got off subject.

Answer 1

You just described another violation here: You say they did his Xray in an open hallway? Do you mean it was a common area for other patients, etc. and anyone who was around witnessed the Xray? That right there is a blatant HIPAA vioation, and lawyers are just itching to get their hands on a HIPAA violation case. I would look under your specific state's HIPAA laws and contact info.

A good way to find these resources is to ask a doctor that you go to, someone you trust who had nothing to do with your brother's hospital experience.
"Oh this'll kill all your little swimmers." HOLY CRAP, she said this to him? I have a certification in basic Xray, and I'm no radiologist, but even I know that you don't say tacky things like that to a patient. They teach you that in Law & Ethics.

A portable Xray machine isn't necessarily illegal, but to use it in an open forum certainly is. You need to find how to get a hold of a HIPAA officer in your area. Their job is to crack down on healthcare B.S. like what your brother went through. It all sounds fishy, so work fast--these claims have a short life span from the time of incidence to the time of reporting.

Answer 2

Scatter only travels a few inches. Being a few feet away is fine. Haven't you ever done a portable chest or knee in a recovery room? Or in a shared hospital room?

I can't excuse the swimmers comment though. Contact the ASRT for more information.

Answer 3

i dont agree with saying that it would kill his little swimmers as unprofessional. sometimes saying it in this manner takes the unforcomfortable feeling of " excuse me, please wrap this large heavy protective garment around your genitals so that your sperm will not be damaged should you decide to ever reproduce. i have no idea what it is you are talking about in the other subject about taking an xray of a bed (?) it doesnt really make sense, unless you meant you were alarmed because the patient in the bed received the xray - im not a physician so i'm not sure - also, i would contact the patient representative area in the hospital directly to complain. thanks for letting me share this input.

Answer 4

The AMA?