Aims and objectives
Medical imaging exams are regular and unavoidable parts of diagnostic algorithms in a variety of different diseases.
Some of those utilize different kinds of ionizing radiation and expose patients to it.
Just the same,
despite the potential harm that ionizing radiation carries to their health,
patients are referred to various procedures in everyday practice.
It is suspected that patients are not adequately informed about the benefits and risks of different procedures or their alternatives,
as well as the risk of not undergoing an examination.
The...
Methods and materials
We did a descriptive study using an anonymous one-time survey.
The study was approved by the Ethical Committee of University Hospital Merkur,
Zagreb.
A convenient sample consisting of 416 patients,
of which 201 male and 215 female,
was collected.
The patients in the sample which were referred to our radiology department for diagnostic imaging (X-ray,
ultrasound,
MRI or CT),
voluntarily participated in an anonymous short survey questionnaire.
For all questions frequency analyses were performed in software package STATISTICA ver.13.3.
Chi-square with Yates correction was used...
Results
Mean patients' age was 55.2 ± 15.6 years.
Of all the patients 7.9% were without any formal education or only with finished elementary school,
53.7% had finished high school and 38.4% had a college or a higher degree.
According to the obtained data,
62.5% of patients got the explanation from their supervising physician about the radiological exam they were referred to.
240 patients think that the given explanation was sufficient.
93.8% of patients knew that some radiological procedures use ionizing radiation but when asked which...
Conclusion
The patients' knowledge about ionizing radiation used in medical imaging and associated health risks is poor.
Even though 58% of patients were satisfied with the explanations received from their supervising physicians,
it is obvious that the information given was not sufficient.
It also brings in question the necessary knowledge of supervising physicians who are increasingly referring the patients to diagnostic imaging.
Personal information
Andro Matković,
MD
Clinical department for diagnostic and interventional radiology
University Hospital Merkur
Zagreb
Croatia
[email protected]
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