Rethinking responsibility in radiography: Some ethical issues in South Africa

Abstract

The field of radiography in South Africa is complex and presents a multitude of ethical issues. The discipline is often regarded as a supporting function in the healthcare chain, and a stepping-stone in the diagnostic process. This status of the discipline seems to have left many radiographers in a position of substantial confusion. In the course of numerous bioethics presentations for radiographers in South Africa, several ethical and legal issues have recurrently come to my attention. This article aims to address some of these issues and to offer ethically and legally acceptable solutions. The proposed solutions are not absolute – they are based on personal discussions and experiences – and their practicability needs to be scrutinised. Consequently, this article should be seen as a starting point only.