Al-Mallah Adel, Vaithinathan Asokan G, Al-Sehlawi Mahdi, Al-Mannai Mariam
Radiologic Technology Program, College of Health Sciences, University of Bahrain, Manama, Bahrain.
Public Health Program, College of Health Sciences, University of Bahrain, Manama, Bahrain.
Oman Med J. 2017 Sep;32(5):371-377. doi: 10.5001/omj.2017.72.
Between 20 to 50% of medical imaging examinations are considered inappropriate, and unnecessary ionizing radiation exposures may lead to cancer. We hypothesized that Bahraini patients who self-present for ionizing radiation procedures are not aware of, and lack the requisite knowledge of, the inherent risks associated with their use than patients prescribed for diagnostic purposes. We attempted to examine and compare the awareness and knowledge of the associated risks of ionizing radiation in common diagnostic radiological procedures between prescribed and self-presenting patients in Bahrain.
A cross-sectional survey was carried out among 416 Bahraini patients attending the radiology department of the Salmaniya Medical Complex (SMC), a secondary health care center, who had been referred by primary care physicians or self-presented to the center. Data was collected via face-to-face interviews.
Prescribed patients (n = 358) had a better awareness than self-presenting (n = 58) patients on all ionizing radiation awareness statements (i.e., risks, permissible levels, willingness to undergo the procedure, and preference for a clinical examination over a radiological procedure) ( < 0.050). Of the 10 knowledge statements, the prescribed patients agreed on four statements than the self-presenting patients: preventing or minimizing exposure improves health, people can prevent or minimize exposure, a lifelong health concern, and radiological procedures offer best diagnoses compared to medical tests or procedures ( < 0.050).
Bahraini patients who reported to SMC lack awareness and knowledge on ionizing radiation. The proportion of appropriate responses to awareness and knowledge questions were paltry for self-presenting patients and deficient for the prescribed patients in the knowledge segment alone.
20%至50%的医学影像检查被认为是不恰当的，不必要的电离辐射暴露可能导致癌症。我们假设，主动要求进行电离辐射检查的巴林患者比因诊断目的而接受检查的患者更不了解且缺乏与使用电离辐射相关的固有风险的必要知识。我们试图调查和比较巴林接受诊断性放射程序的指定患者和主动要求检查的患者对电离辐射相关风险的认识和了解情况。
对416名在二级医疗保健中心萨勒曼尼亚医疗中心（SMC）放射科就诊的巴林患者进行了横断面调查，这些患者是由初级保健医生转诊或自行前往该中心的。通过面对面访谈收集数据。
在所有电离辐射意识陈述方面（即风险、允许水平、接受该程序的意愿以及相对于放射程序更倾向于临床检查），指定患者（n = 358）比主动要求检查的患者（n = 58）有更好的认识（P < 0.050）。在10条知识陈述中，指定患者比主动要求检查的患者在四条陈述上意见一致：预防或减少暴露可改善健康、人们可以预防或减少暴露、对健康的终身关注以及与医学检查或程序相比，放射程序能提供最佳诊断（P < 0.050）。
前往SMC就诊的巴林患者缺乏对电离辐射的认识和了解。仅在知识方面，主动要求检查的患者对意识和知识问题的恰当回答比例微不足道，而指定患者的回答也存在不足。
