The National Health Insurance Service said on the 22nd that, considering the medical environment in which the use of medical imaging tests (CT) continues to rise, it will work to improve public awareness to guide people toward reasonable use of tests.
According to a survey on awareness of medical imaging tests conducted by the corporation in September of 1,880 adults nationwide, interest in medical radiation is high, but accurate understanding of related information remains lacking.
The share who answered that they had "heard" medical radiation-related terms was 87.8%, up 6.3 percentage points from the 2023 survey, but 71.4% of respondents incorrectly believed that radiation is generated during MRI tests, which do not use radiation.
Korea is a country where the use of imaging tests that expose people to medical radiation is steadily increasing. According to statistics from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), as of 2023, Korea had 333.5 CT scans per 1,000 people, far exceeding the OECD average of 177.9 and marking the highest level among member countries.
According to the "status of medical imaging test (CT) use and excessive scanning" analyzed by the corporation, over the past five years (2020–2024), the number of people receiving CT scans rose 27.5% from 5.91 million to 7.54 million, and the number of scans increased 33.3% from 11.05 million to 14.74 million.
Based on Volume 54, Issue 12 of the Journal of the Korean Medical Association Organization, the number of high-dose exposures with annual radiation exceeding 100 mSv (effective dose) increased 37.6% over the same period from 34,931 to 48,071, and the collective effective dose also rose 38% from 4,421 man-Sv to 6,100 man-Sv, outpacing the overall CT use growth rate. Man-Sv refers to the unit of the total radiation dose received by members of a group when many people are exposed.
According to international bodies such as the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP), there is no separate limit set for patient radiation exposure, but reports indicate that the risk of cancer increases by 0.5% when cumulative exposure exceeds 100 mSv. By contrast, for radiation-related workers, the occupational exposure limit is strictly controlled at up to 50 mSv per year, and for airline crew, 6 mSv or less.
According to the corporation, the public's annual average exposure due to CT use is 2.1 mSv, exceeding the average exposure of airline crew (1.72 mSv), and reaching about eight times the average exposure of radiation workers (0.28 mSv).
An official at the corporation said, "Korea is a country with high CT utilization, yet social awareness of the risks of patient exposure to medical radiation is relatively low," adding, "A single abdominal CT scan exposes a person to about 6.8 mSv, which is about 24 times higher than the annual average exposure of radiation workers."
The official added, "As in the case reported in the media, undergoing 130 CT scans in one year is estimated to involve exposure of about 234 mSv, which equals 111 times the annual average CT exposure and about 836 times that of radiation workers."
Jeong Giseok, president of the National Health Insurance Service, said, "As the insurer responsible for people's lifelong health, the corporation will provide accurate information and step up public outreach so that medical imaging tests can be used more rationally."
Since January this year, the corporation has operated a "medical imaging test history management system" that allows people to directly check their CT and mammography records through its website and the mobile app "The Health Insurance," and recently expanded the inquiry scope to include general X-ray history for children under age 12, who are more vulnerable to radiation exposure.
Jeong said, "To reduce unnecessary exposure to medical radiation, we will focus on the message, 'Yes to only necessary scans, no to overexposure,' and work to raise public awareness," emphasizing, "The corporation will fulfill its social responsibilities and do its best to protect people's health."