Keywords:
Radioprotection / Radiation dose, CT, MR, Ultrasound, Radiation effects, Radiation safety
Authors:
I. Moalla1, M. Boukoucha1, D. Alifa1, L. Rezgui Marhoul2; 1Ben Arous/TN, 2Tunis/TN
DOI:
10.26044/ecr2019/C-3628
Conclusion
Our study is definitely not perfect and suffer from some limitations such as the fact that respondents can try to guess what the surveyor wants rather than answering what they truly believe.
Besides our study reflects the responses of patients at an urban academic hospital and may not be generalizable to other populations.
Concerning the paramedics sample,
the size was too small and that could be considered unrepresentative.
Paramedics working with X-ray (radiology,
radiotherapy,
nuclear medicine) were not distinguished.
The survey was conducted during the day and with distinct beginning and ending dates,
making our results subject to selection bias.
Finally ,8% of our medical group are 1st and 2nd year med student which represent bias in our study because they don’t have the same knowledge as doctors in current practice.
To summarize,
majority of each panel showed interest on radiation.
Anxieties about radiation were more mixed (worries,
P = 35%,
PM = 68 %,
M = 45 %).
Some existing concepts were revealed and gain to be strengthened such as increased risk of cancer with X-rays,
importance of mentioning pregnancy to paramedical and medical staff and value of radiation limitation in children.
However false or insufficient concepts should be corrected,
among them: management of X-ray in pregnant women (avoiding it and considering the term of pregnancy if necessary),
inequality of organs susceptibility in X-rays: testis,
ovaries,
breast,
thyroid and in children,
the fact that US and MRI does not use X-ray,
importance of avoiding useless examinations and importance of patient information.
We finally concluded that patient radiation awareness is unsatisfactory.
Informed consent is of high importance.
The doctors,
especially radiologists,
are encouraged to provide such information to patients when prescribing such examination.
Here are some solutions that we may propose,
most of which have been proposed by patients: Television advertisement in waiting area of radiological examination,
informative text printed on the back of appointment sheets,
free pamphlets distributed at radiology departments’,
information office in radiology departments’ with available agent to discuss with patient and advertisement in newspaper and dedicated TV program.