ARRT Patient Care Practice Exam

For medicolegal reasons, radiographic images are required to include all of the following information except:

1. the patient's name and/or identification

2. the patient's birth date

3. a right or left side marker

4. the date of the examination

The correct answer is: the patient's birth date

Radiographic images must include specific identifying information to ensure accurate patient identification and maintain legal standards. The inclusion of the patient's name and/or identification is crucial, as it directly links the imaging to the individual, preventing potential mix-ups with other patients. Similarly, marking the right or left side is essential as it provides orientation which can be vital in medical evaluations and legal considerations. The date of the examination is also important as it establishes a timeline for the patient's care and can be critical in legal contexts, especially regarding the treatment timeline or progression of a condition. While the patient's birth date is important for patient identification and may assist in verifying that the images correspond to the correct individual, it is not universally required on radiographic images for medicolegal purposes. Thus, the absence of the patient's birth date does not typically compromise the legal integrity of the radiographic image in the same way that the other three factors would. This differentiates the necessity of including the birth date from the other items, establishing why it is the correct answer in this context.