Medical physicists urged to lead efforts in sustainable imaging practices

DOTmed September 8, 2025
Gus Iversen

Medical physicists are uniquely positioned to advance sustainability in medical imaging, according to a recent commentary in the JACR highlighting the profession’s technical and collaborative role in imaging operations.

With medical imaging estimated to contribute up to 10% of the healthcare sector’s global greenhouse gas emissions, there is growing recognition that efforts to reduce emissions must be embedded into clinical and operational workflows.

Medical physicists already influence key decisions that impact energy use and waste generation—including equipment procurement, clinical protocol development, and scanner maintenance. Leveraging that position could enable meaningful reductions in imaging’s environmental footprint without compromising diagnostic accuracy or patient safety.

“Medical physicists serve as the technical conduit between imaging systems and physicians,” the authors wrote. “Our extensive knowledge...

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