Image GentlySM: A National Education and Communication Campaign in Radiology Using the Science of Social Marketing

Goske, Marilyn J.; Applegate, Kimberly E.; Boylan, Jennifer; Butler, Priscilla F.; Callahan, Michael J.; Coley, Brian D.; Farley, Shawn; Frush, Donald P.; Hernanz-Schulman, Marta; Jaramillo, Diego; Johnson, Neil D.; Kaste, Sue C.; Morrison, Gregory; Strauss, Keith J.; Alliance for Radiation Safety in Pediatric Imaging,

doi:10.1016/j.jacr.2008.06.007

« Previous Next »Journal of the American College of Radiology
Volume 5, Issue 12 , Pages 1200-1205, December 2008

Image Gently^SM: A National Education and Communication Campaign in Radiology Using the Science of Social Marketing

Marilyn J. Goske, MD
- Department of Radiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio
- Corresponding author and reprints: Marilyn J. Goske, MD, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine, Department of Radiology, MLC 5031, 3333 Burnet Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45229-3039
Kimberly E. Applegate, MD, MS
- Department of Radiology, Riley Hospital for Children, Indianapolis, Indiana
Jennifer Boylan, MA
- American College of Radiology, Reston, Virginia
Priscilla F. Butler, MS
- American College of Radiology, Reston, Virginia
Michael J. Callahan, MD
- Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
Brian D. Coley, MD
- Department of Radiology, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio
Shawn Farley
- American College of Radiology, Reston, Virginia
Donald P. Frush, MD
- Division of Pediatric Radiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
Marta Hernanz-Schulman, MD
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Vanderbilt Children's Hospital, Nashville, Tennessee
Diego Jaramillo, MD, MPH
- Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Neil D. Johnson, MD
- Department of Radiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio
Sue C. Kaste, DO
- Department of Radiological Science, Division of Diagnostic Imaging, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
Gregory Morrison, CAE, MA, RT(R), CNMT
- American Society of Radiologic Technologists, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Keith J. Strauss, MS
- Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
Alliance for Radiation Safety in Pediatric Imaging

Communication campaigns are an accepted method for altering societal attitudes, increasing knowledge, and achieving social and behavioral change particularly within public health and the social sciences. The Image Gently^SM campaign is a national education and awareness campaign in radiology designed to promote the need for and opportunities to decrease radiation to children when CT scans are indicated. In this article, the relatively new science of social marketing is reviewed and the theoretical basis for an effective communication campaign in radiology is discussed. Communication strategies are considered and the type of outcomes that should be measured are reviewed. This methodology has demonstrated that simple, straightforward safety messages on radiation protection targeted to medical professionals throughout the radiology community, utilizing multiple media, can affect awareness potentially leading to change in practice.

Key Words: Social marketing, public campaigns, mass media, radiation protection, children