Analysis of radiological equipment allocation and radiation protection in traditional Chinese medicine institutions in Jiangxi Province
CAO Faming, CAO Xiugui, HUANG Zhe, DENG Lei
RADIATION PROTECTION BULLETIN. 2026, 46(3):
21-26.
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Objective To analyze the current status of radiological diagnosis and treatment equipment configuration and radiation protection in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) medical institutions in Jiangxi Province, and to provide a basis for optimizing resources and safety management. Methods A questionnaire survey was conducted on radiological equipment and protection resources in 118 TCM medical institutions across the province; radiation protection levels of 69 devices in 23 institutions were spot-checked. Results Among 476 devices in the province, 95.8% were diagnostic radiology equipment, while radiotherapy (0.4%) and interventional radiology equipment (3.8%) were in shortage. The number of radiological devices per tertiary hospital (9.60) was significantly higher than that in secondary hospitals (3.71) and primary institutions (1.33) (F=41.51, P<0.01). The regional Gini coefficient was 0.182, and the per capita device rate in Yingtan (0.183 devices per 10,000 population) was 2.8 times that in Ganzhou (0.066 devices per 10,000 population). Service capacity was homogeneous, with diagnostic radiology accounting for 99.9% of service volume, while interventional therapy (0.1%) and radiotherapy (0.003%) accounted for extremely low proportions. The service volume of tertiary hospitals was 28.6 times that of primary institutions (F=18.72, P<0.01). Weaknesses in radiation protection were prominent, with radiological staff concentrated in tertiary hospitals (32.80 persons per institution vs. 1.86 persons per primary institution, F=42.80, P<0.01). The overall pass rate of workplace radiation protection monitoring was 89.9%, but the pass rate for panoramic dental X-ray rooms was only 20%, and for CT rooms, 85.7%. Conclusion Radiodiagnosis in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) medical institutions in Jiangxi Province is primarily basic, with a notable shortage of advanced services and evident imbalances in resource hierarchy and regional distribution. The compliance rate of radiation protection is lower than that of general hospitals, with prominent hazards in dental and CT examination rooms. Recommendations include strengthening basic imaging based on a tiered diagnosis and treatment system, promoting complementarity with the advanced technologies of general hospitals, and enhancing regulatory oversight of radiation protection in dental and CT equipment.This study analyzed the allocation of radiological diagnostic and therapeutic equipment and radiation protection status in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) institutions in Jiangxi Province to provide evidence for resource allocation optimization and safety supervision. Questionnaire surveys were carried out to collect data on radiological equipment and protective resources from 118 TCM institutions, and radiation protection inspections were implemented on 69 devices from 23 sampled institutions. Among all 476 surveyed devices, 95.8% belonged to diagnostic radiology units, with radiotherapy (0.4%) and interventional radiology equipment (3.8%) being insufficiently equipped. Tertiary hospitals possessed an average of 9.60 devices per institution, significantly higher than secondary (3.71) and primary institutions (1.33) (F=41.51, P<0.01). The regional Gini coefficient was 0.182; the per capita equipment volume of Yingtan City (0.183 units per 10 000 residents) was 2.8 times that of Ganzhou City (0.066 units per 10 000 residents). The radiological service structure was homogeneous: diagnostic radiology accounted for 99.9% of total service volume, while interventional radiology and radiotherapy only made up 0.1% and 0.003% respectively, and tertiary hospitals produced 28.6 times more service volume than primary institutions (F=18.72, P<0.01). Radiological staff were unevenly distributed, heavily concentrated in tertiary hospitals (32.80 persons per hospital vs. 1.86 persons at primary institutions, F=42.80, P<0.01). The overall pass rate of workplace radiation protection monitoring reached 89.9%, whereas panoramic dental X-ray rooms had merely a 20% pass rate and CT rooms achieved 85.7%. In summary, TCM institutions in Jiangxi mainly deliver basic radiodiagnostic services lacking high-end radiological care, featuring prominent hierarchical and regional resource imbalance; their radiation protection performance is inferior to general hospitals, and hidden safety hazards widely exist in dental and CT examination rooms. It is recommended to strengthen basic imaging services of TCM institutions under the tiered medical system to form complementary high-end technical support with general hospitals, and strengthen targeted radiation protection supervision focusing on dental and CT equipment.
