Application of Physics in Medicine

Application Of Physics In Medicine Medical physics is generally speaking the application of physics concepts, theories and methods to medicine. A medical physics department may be based in either a hospital or a university. Clinical medical physicists are often found in Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Radiation Oncology. However, areas of specialty are widely varied in scope and breadth e.g., clinical physiology, neurophysiology (Finland), and audiology (Netherlands). In the case of research based university departments, the scope is even wider and may include anything from the study of biomolecular structure to microscopy and nanomedicine.

“Medical Physics Services will contribute to maintaining and improving the quality, safety, and cost-effectiveness of healthcare services through patient-oriented activities requiring expert action, involvement or advice regarding the specification, selection, acceptance testing, commissioning, quality assurance including quality control, and optimised clinical use of medical devices and regarding risks from associated physical agents; all activities will be based on current best evidence or own scientific research when the available evidence is not sufficient. The scope includes risks to volunteers in biomedical research, carers and comforters; it also includes risk to workers and the public when these have an impact on patient doses"
(based on a mission statement to be found in:'Guidelines on the Medical Physics Expert - Qualification and Curriculum Development Frameworks' (Caruana C. J. et al.) - a project funded by the European Commission)
The term ‘Physical Agents’ refers to ionising and non-ionising electromagnetic radiations, static electric and magnetic fields, ultrasound, laser light and any other Physical Agent associated with medical devices. As stated in the introduction at the moment the profession is mostly concerned with those devices used in Diagnostic and