(a) Commencing July 1, 2012, subject to subdivision (e), a person that uses a computed tomography (CT) X-ray system for human use shall record the dose of radiation on every diagnostic CT study produced during a CT examination in the patient’s record, as defined in Section 123105. CT studies used for therapeutic radiation treatment planning or delivery or for calculating attenuation coefficients for nuclear medication studies shall not be required to record the dose.

(b) The facility conducting the study may send electronically each CT study and protocol page that lists the technical factors and dose of radiation to the electronic picture archiving and communications system.

(c) (1) Until July 1, 2013, the displayed dose shall be verified annually by a medical physicist for the facility’s standard adult brain, adult abdomen, and pediatric brain protocols, to ensure the displayed doses are within 20 percent of the true measured dose measured in accordance with subdivision (f).

(2) A facility that has a CT X-ray system that is accredited by an organization that is approved by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, an accrediting agency approved by the Medical Board of California, or the State Department of Public Health may elect not to perform the verification described in paragraph (1).

(d) Subject to subdivision (e), the interpretive report of a diagnostic CT study shall include the dose of radiation by either recording the dose within the patient’s report or attaching the protocol page that includes the dose of radiation to the report.

(e) The requirements of this section shall be limited to CT systems capable of calculating and displaying the dose.

(f) For the purposes of this section, dose of radiation shall be defined as one of the following:

(1) The computed tomography index volume (CTDI vol) and dose length product (DLP), as defined by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and recognized by the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

(2) The dose unit as recommended by the American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

(g) For purposes of this section, “CT X-ray system” means the same as provided in Section 892.1750 of Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

(Amended by Stats. 2012, Ch. 106, Sec. 1. (AB 510) Effective July 13, 2012.)