Alright. Today, we’re going to dive into the topic of the importance of markers. Now, understanding what markers are and why they’re important is briefly discussed in schools and in all our radiology learning. However, they are small, but they have a huge impact on the field.
Typically, markers are small rectangles or squares, often labeled “L” and “R,” which need to be placed on an X-ray film. They indicate laterality. For example, for the left forearm, they mark the left side; the same applies to the right foot. However, there’s a crucial importance to them that is often overlooked or forgotten, especially with today’s new technology. Yet, this importance remains high. What do I mean by this? I mean that in school, everyone is taught that you need a marker on every image. Yes, you do. You need at least one marked indicator in your X-ray series. So, if you’re taking a two-view X-ray, you need it on one of the two views.
The burnt-on marker we’re talking about is a physical little square or rectangle, L or R, with your initials or numbers to mark the laterality; they must be on the actual image, not the ones you add from the computer. Well, why is that? It seems like a little thing, right? One more thing to remember, a little thing to have.
However, it’s very important that the legal burnt-on marker has standing in court and can be upheld against the radiologist. Essentially, this is your opportunity to confirm that you placed the correct side. With modern technology, we can ensure things are correctly positioned.
We can flip things, we can invert things. We can do so many different things on our computer system to our x-rays, including adding markers. However, none of that can prove how that position. It was actually taken. The only thing that can do that is those burnt-on markers, and that is why they’re important. And I feel that when I discuss with students, I’m like, we have to have a marker on this.
Like why is that important? They say, I don’t really know, or I just was told I have to have one, and that’s why. It is essential to be able to verify that you performed the correct x-ray. And not that it’s very common, it’s not. But if for some reason that X-Ray ever went through an audit, went through legal ramifications, anything that way, that marker on there is your chance to say, I know a hundred percent I did that.
See that marker on there? You don’t have that. You don’t have a leg to stand on, and it’s kinda scary thinking about it that way. That’s also a key point in emphasizing the importance of using your own markers. Many departments, it’s very easy to use whatever markers in the room, use whatever marker was last on the board. Oh, my coworkers gone, but their markers sitting here, I’ll just use theirs. Well, no, that has their initials on it that says that they did it. And yes. I mean, if you don’t want your name on it, that’s one way to use it. But that’s not legal. That’s not safe. That’s not ethical. That’s not fair. It’s a bigger deal than that to not.
Use markers that aren’t yours. And that also means don’t leave your markers around. You are responsible for them. And it goes no different than if someone else saw your markers laying around and used it and did the wrong side, then they could take you to court over it. Then you’re gonna be the one that come after, even if you have paperwork, saying, I was gone that day on PTO. I was in California, I was out of the state, whatever. They can still come after you because your name’s on it. So that’s why it’s important to not only use a marker, an actual burnt on marker, not just the computer annotated ones, as well as it’s important to, to use your own and hold them with dignity because they’re your responsibility and they’re kind of your life link to your X-rays.
Now that being said, many places will do like a numbering system for their markers. And so instead of letting them have your initials on them, they will give you a marker that’s like, uh, like a left and a right 10, and that’s your number for the next quarter or however long they decide. And that’s due to keep the markers rotating. So the radiologist can’t cause issues with one specific tech. If they say don’t get along with one tech, and they know their initials are. Rj, they, anytime they see an x-ray with rj, they’re gonna kind of criticize it harder, kind of dig into it deeper, kind of call them out, get them in trouble, whatever. However, if you only do a number system and that RAD finds out that RJ is number 10, but then the next quarter they switch and they don’t know that RJ is now number five. They can’t go after someone personally, and it really is a way to take that personal knowledge out of identifying with the x-ray.
But overall, It’s important to use them. It’s important to have them. I mean, yes, it’s easy to lose them. Yes, it’s easy to forget about them, but they are important to have and important to use. However, they are important to keep in mind that they are some of the first things that the patients see of us. So there are a bunch of fun markers out there. I’m talking like. Fish, animals, food sayings, all of the things, and that’s great. That’s awesome. Show off some personality. That’s something that we don’t get to do a ton in the medical field. Depending where you work, it’s your opportunity to say, Hey, yeah, I got these cool markers. This is what I like to do. Awesome. Love it. However, it’s also important to keep in mind that that’s what the patient sees first. I think about when I got a on set of X-ray markers from a friend. They were a set of avocados. That’s what they looked like. They had cute little hearts. They were sweet, and I love them. I love avocados. It‘s great. However, I started to notice, and this is what made me kind of pick up on that, patients really do see those quite often. Anytime I had ’em suck on the board or I put ’em down next to x-ray patient, gimme kind of a funny look and. Be like, is that an avocado? Or like, what? What is that? And I was like, oh yeah, this is my marker. And just mark your side, doesn’t matter. Like just leave it be. And it really got me thinking that they really are observant on what those markers are. And even though it’s a little piece of the big puzzle, they’re observant on it. So I think of someone else I know that had a set of markers that was a dumpster and then a fire, which in healthcare, we have some crazy days. However, I was just thinking, what do the patients think when they see you put a dumpster next to them while they’re getting their x-ray? Like that is not. Like I would be weirded out by that and be like, oh, okay. Like if I didn’t know what they were, and that’s how our patients feel. So yes, use a marker that is your personality and can show like, oh, I like this, or I like this color. But like also keep in mind, they need to be fitting for the area and they need to be fitting for healthcare, right? Like we’re showing those to our patients. They need to. I know I saw some the other day that had like a sarcastic healthcare saying on them, which is again, comical, you know, makes you laugh a little bit, but not appropriate for patients and can make them uncomfortable.
So it’s just important to remember that like, yes, it shows off your personality, but also you have to be thinking of what the other people see and view that because it is important. And with all of that and having them be important, the overhaul thing is do not lose them. Always keep in mind to have a backup set just in case something happens and always just get in the habit of putting them in the same spot.
So some places will let you put them on your badge. Always have them on there. You’ll never forget them. Then otherwise, always put them in the same spot. You always put them in your right pocket, put ’em there. That way you constantly are building that habit. Even in school of I’m done with my marker. It goes in here. That way, you know you keep it on you. You’re not leaving it behind, letting other people use it. As well as you don’t need to look and scavenger for other people’s. You have yours on you all the time, and you’ll be ready to rock it out.