Due to increased attention to the radiation dose delivered during diagnostic and interventional exams, systems that collect radiation dose indices from diagnostic or image guided interventional studies using ionizing radiation have been developed and implemented. Most of the information collected is obtained from the RDSR provided by the Modality and can be used for a wide range of applications, many of which are modality specific.

As a primary use, the information included in the RDSR can be used to evaluate protocol appropriateness. Modality-specific dosimetry indicators can be sent to local/regional/national dose registries. In this case, this information can be used to compare different practices and benchmark the dose levels of one's institution's protocols against diagnostic reference levels.

Dosimetry indicators, together with other information recorded about the exam (e.g., the name of operator who performed the exam), can also be used to monitor the utilization of the equipment, as well as deviations from intended protocols, best practices, and applicable regulations.

The information contained in the RDSR can be used not only to track but also to optimize the levels of radiation and the acquisition protocols. The analysis of the information included allows users to evaluate if the expected optimization was achieved. RDSRs also allow users to account for the variability in patient size and imaging system models, capabilities, and manufacturers during analysis.

Another use of the RDSR is providing the clinical medical physicist with the information necessary for individual patient and/or fetal dose estimates. Depending on the modality, the output of the equipment, together with patient information, could be used to perform organ dose and/or skin dose map estimations.

The availability and quality of the RDSR produced by the image acquisition systems are critical to the success of the use cases mentioned above.