Dose variables to serve radiation protection and epidemiologic needs

The US Department of Energy (DOE) implemented the Comprehensive Epidemiologic Data Resource (CEDR) to facilitate independent research to validate and supplement DOE research on human health effects. A dosimetry working group was formed during 1991 to evaluate radiation dose variables and associated documentation that would be most useful to researchers for retrospective and prospective studies. The working group included dosimetrists and epidemiologists from several DOE laboratories. An overview of the recommendations included in the final report from the working group is presented. Basically, relatively minor additions to routine dose assessment and record keeping practices are needed to provide important parameters necessary for prospective epidemiologic evaluations. Without these additions, serious inconsistencies between past and current recorded dose will occur, and the data will be more limited for epidemiologic purposes