Which of the following techniques minimizes radiation exposure to patients during X-ray procedures?

Increasing the distance from the source is an effective technique for minimizing radiation exposure to patients during X-ray procedures due to the principles of radiation physics, specifically the inverse square law. This law states that the intensity of radiation decreases with the square of the distance from the source. As the distance from the X-ray tube is increased, the amount of radiation that reaches the patient is significantly reduced, thereby lowering the patient's exposure.

Maintaining a greater distance between the radiation source and the patient is a fundamental practice in radiation safety. It is essential to protect patients from unnecessary radiation while still obtaining quality images for diagnostic purposes.

In contrast, options like decreasing image quality or using manual exposure settings may not address the radiation dose issue effectively and could compromise the diagnostic utility of the imaging. Removing all shielding would increase exposure risk rather than minimize it. Therefore, increasing distance from the source remains the best practice for reducing radiation exposure.