Which of the following changes is likely to decrease patient dose during an X-ray procedure?

Using high kilovoltage peak (kVp) is associated with a decrease in patient dose during an X-ray procedure as it enhances the penetrating power of the X-ray beam. Higher kVp allows for more efficient X-ray production and improves the quality of the images obtained, resulting in fewer required exposures to achieve diagnostic clarity. This is particularly important because a higher-energy beam is more capable of penetrating tissues, thereby requiring a lower mAs (milliamperes-seconds) to achieve the same image quality. Reducing the mAs directly correlates with a lower radiation exposure to the patient.

In contrast, using low kVp would likely increase patient dose since it requires higher mAs to achieve sufficient image quality due to the less penetrating X-rays being produced. Increasing the exposure time further amplifies the radiation dose, and decreased collimation may cause a larger area of radiation exposure, increasing patient dose unnecessarily.