RORL Mission
The primary goal of the Radiology Outcomes Research Laboratory (RORL) is to provide rigorous research allowing clinicians to utilize and perform medical imaging in a way that minimizes potential harms (specifically imaging using ionizing radiation) and patients to make educated decisions about how and when to undergo imaging.

Our research assists health policymakers in making informed recommendations to healthcare systems and the public about when and how to use such tests. Our objective is to describe the effects of irradiating imaging on patient health, identify the value of different tests, decrease the use of harmful imaging, and optimize the performance of tests with proven clinical value and utility.

2021: Patients Often in the Dark on Radiation Risks from Medical Imaging 
2019: More CT, MRI Scans Being Used, Despite Calls to Cut Back 
2018: Simple Ovarian Cysts on Ultrasound Need No Further Monitoring 
2017: Many Breast Cancer Patients Receive More Radiation Therapy Than Needed 
2016: Should you worry about the radiation from CT scans? 
2016: Could CT scans cause cancer? 
2014: We Are Giving Ourselves Cancer 
2014: The Hidden Dangers of Medical Scans 

Founded in 2010 by Director Rebecca Smith-Bindman, MD, the Radiology Outcomes Research Laboratory (RORL)'s primary focus is to optimize the widely used diagnostic imaging tests that use ionizing radiation by increasing diagnostic precision while minimizing exposure and harm to patients. Since its founding, the contributions of the RORL and Dr. Smith-Bindman have been significant, such as the creation of the UCSF Computed Tomography (CT) International Dose Registry and the endorsement and implementation of both pediatric and adult quality measures to assess radiation dose in CT. Dr. Smith-Bindman’s contributions have been celebrated and awarded, including: being named a Leader in Imaging by Aunt Minnie in 2011; receiving a Distinguished Investigator Award by the Academy of Radiology Research in 2015; having an academic paper honored as one of the top 10 publications in 2013 funded by NCI's Epidemiology and Genomics Research Program; and being selected as 19th Annual Faculty Research Lectureship by the UCSF Academic Senate in 2019.  

 

For Patients who want to learn more:

We wish to make patients feel more confident when speaking to healthcare providers about receiving medical imaging, which can be an essential part of care! We have created this educational website where patients can learn about commonly available medical imaging tests, their benefits, and their risks.   
 

Welcome | Know Your Dose (ucsf.edu)

 

 

For Professionals who want to learn more:

Visit our YouTube channel for a library of over 100 on-demand lectures from virtual symposiums hosted in 2013 and 2023, focused on educating professionals at all levels to optimize CT utilization and radiation dose.  


2023 Virtual Symposium: Introduction by Rebecca Smith-Bindman, M.D. (youtube.com)

[email protected]
University of California, San Francisco
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics
Radiology Outcomes Research Laboratory
550 16th Street
Box 0560
San Francisco, CA 94158