Aims and objectives
Over the past decade,
there has been a growing concern regarding the risks and benefits of various forms of medical imaging.Whileawareness of radiation associated with diagnostic imaging is growing,
patients tend to have an incomplete understanding of their radiation exposure [1,
2].
The aim of this study was to evaluate patients' perceptions of risks and benefits associated with various cardiac imaging modalities,
including radiation exposure and test accuracy.
Methods and materials
Over a six-month period,
210 patients referred for various types of cardiac imaging examinations,completed a survey investigating: a) ifthe risks and benefits of the exam were sufficiently explained; b)if they believed the benefits from their exam outweighed the risks of exposure to radiation; c) if their physician suggested that a cardiac imaging exam was capable of diagnosing a medical problem,
then it was worth the risk of being exposed to radiation; and d) whether they would be willing to undergo an imaging study with higher...
Results
Overall,
at least 70% of patients gave positive responses regarding explanation,
benefit,
and physician trust regarding their cardiac exams.
70% of patients reported that the information they received regarding the general risks and benefits was sufficient.
A majority of the patients (79%) believed that the benefits from the exam always outweighed the risks of potential exposure to radiation.73% of patients agreed that the radiation risk was acceptable if their physician recommended the study.
However,39% of patients indicated that they were willing to undergo an imaging...
Conclusion
The majority of patients indicated a general trust in the appropriateness of cardiac CT or MR imaging andtheir physicians’recommendations,despite potential radiation exposure.Most patients have a general trust in the sensitivity of cardiac imaging procedures; however,
there appears to be less trust regarding cardiac imaging’s specificity.
Patients may benefit from a more focused explanation of risks and benefits of cardiac imaging studies and it may be advisable for physicians to include information on expected sensitivities and specificities of various imaging modalities as part of the discussion...
Personal information
Leila Mostafavi MD
Department of Radiological Sciences,
David Geffen School of Medicine,
University of California,
Los Angeles,
USA;
[email protected]
Jacquilline Hollada MSPH
Department of Radiological Sciences,
David Geffen School of Medicine,
University of California,
Los Angeles,
USA;
[email protected]
William Speier PhD
UCLA Medical Imaging Informatics,
Los Angeles,
USA;
[email protected]
Wanda Marfori MD
Department of Radiological Sciences,UC Irvine's School of Medicine,
Irvine,
USA;
[email protected]
Stefan G.
Ruehm MD,
PhD
Department of Radiological Sciences,
David Geffen School of Medicine,
University of California,
Los Angeles,
USA;
[email protected]
References
1.Dauer LT,
Thornton RH,
Hay JL,
Balter R,
Williamson MJ,
St.
Germain J.
Fears,
feelings,
and facts: interactively communicating benefits and risks if medical radiation with patients.AJR2011; 196:756–761
2.Meinel F,
Nance J,
Harris B,
De Cecco C,
Costello P,
Schoen J.
Radiation Risks from cardiovascular imaging tests.
Circulation 2014; 130:442-445
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