[Referral guidelines in diagnostic imaging]

This article describes the causes and motivations for the introduction of referral guidelines for diagnostic radiology. Guidelines are not intended to serve as directives, but as a concept for good practice and as a basis for discussion and communication between prescribers and practitioners of radiological examinations. Although not all questions about the most effective way of implementation have been solved, it has been shown that referral guidelines serve as a means of avoiding unnecessary x-ray examinations and therefore represent an important tool within a comprehensive concept of radiation protection.