USEPA in “Spotlight: Successful Approaches for Reducing Radon Risk,“ noted the success of the Massachusetts Department of Health in its education and outreach to the medical community.
“In collaboration with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) Environmental Public Health Tracking Program and funded by the MDPH Comprehensive Cancer Prevention and Control Network, the Radon Unit conducted outreach to medical professionals. This initiative included organizing a Radon Grand Rounds presentation featuring a thoracic oncologist from a local cancer treatment and research institute and developing an online presentation to raise radon awareness that will be used by the Massachusetts Medical Society for Physicians.”
The educational effort developed continuing medical education entitled “Radon Exposure and Health Risks.” The Massachusetts Medical Society provides education that meets the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) requirements. This project was provided through joint efforts of the Massachusetts Medical Society and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. The intended audience included Primary Care Physicians and other allied health professionals.
Contributors from the Radon Program were:
o Cory Holmes is a Certified Radon Measurement Specialist and Assistant Director of the Indoor Air Quality Program for the Bureau of Environmental Health at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health
o Sharon Lee, Program Manager, Environmental Public Health Tracking Program, Massachusetts Department of Public Health
Course objectives included:
o Describe the link between radon exposure and lung cancer risk
o Educate patients on radon risks and mitigation
o Explain elevated risk of lung cancer due to smoking status combined with radon exposure
o Direct patients to available resources
Acknowledgments:
The Radon Assessment Unit receives funding from the EPA under its State Indoor Radon Grant program to assist in these advisory and mitigation activities.
This webinar was supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Cooperative Agreement 1 NU58DP006271-01-00. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the CDC.
Resources
Radon Program contact:
Telephone (413) 586-7525
https://www.mass.gov/info-details/radon-information-for-healthcare-providers
Medical Society information about the course:
https://www.massmed.org/Continuing-Education-and-Events/Online-CME/Courses/Radon-Exposure/Radon-Exp…
Source: Overview of EPA’s State Indoor Radon Grants Program: A Focus on Activities Conducted during 2021 https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2022-02/final-2021-annual-sirg-activities-report-508c.pdf
United States