European survey on imaging referral guidelines

Insights into Imaging

Table 1 Guidelines survey: national radiology society, nuclear medicine society and competent authority responses to the availability of and legal requirements for imaging referral guidelines including radiation doses

	Does your Member State: have a legal requirement for imaging referral guidelines including radiation doses (“Guidelines”)				In your Member State, are there nationally recognised imaging referral guidelines (appropriateness or referral criteria) including radiation doses available?
Country	Comp auth	NM Soc.	Rad Soc.	Majority response^c	Comp auth	NM Soc.	Rad Soc.	Majority response
Austria	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
Belgium	yes	yes	no	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
Bulgaria	yes	-	no	no	yes	-	yes	yes
Croatia^a	no	no	yes	no	no	no	yes	no
Cyprus	yes	yes	-	yes	no	no	-	no
Czech Republic	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	no	no
Denmark	yes	don’t know	yes	yes	no	yes	yes	yes
Estonia	no	-	yes	no	no	-	yes	no
Finland	yes	-	yes	yes	yes	-	yes	yes
France	yes	-	yes	yes	yes	-	yes	yes
Germany	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
Greece	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	no	yes	yes
Hungary	-	yes	no	yes	-	yes	no	yes
Ireland	yes	-	yes	yes	yes	-	-	no
Italy	-	yes	yes	yes	-	yes	yes	yes
Latvia	-	yes	yes	yes	-	yes	yes	yes
Lithuania	no	-	no	no	no	-	no	no
Luxembourg	yes	-	no	yes	yes	-	yes	yes
Malta	no	yes	yes	yes	no	no	no	no
Netherlands	no	yes	yes	yes	no	yes	yes	yes
Norway^b	no	-	no	no	yes	-	no	no
Poland	yes	-	yes	yes	no	-	yes	yes
Portugal	no	-	yes	yes	no	-	no	no
Romania	yes	yes	yes	yes	no	yes	yes	yes
Slovakia	yes	-	yes	yes	yes	-	yes	yes
Slovenia	yes	-	no	yes	no	-	yes	no
Spain	No	no	no	no	no/-	yes	yes	yes
Sweden	yes	no	yes	no	yes	no	no	no
Switzerland^b	yes/no	yes	no	no	no	yes	-	no
United Kingdom	yes	don’t know	yes	yes	yes	no	yes	yes
Overall yes	19	13	22	21/30	14	12	23	18/30
Overall no	9	4	10	9/30	13	6	7	12/30

Thirty European countries took part in the survey, including 27 EU member states, one acceding state^a and two countries enacting EU legislation^b
^cSubsequent to the survey, all EU countries have confirmed that they have a legal requirement for referral guidelines