ED clinicians show gaps in radiation knowledge, imaging referral practices
A new analysis suggests that emergency department physicians may have gaps in their understanding of medical radiation exposure.
Published in Current Problems in Diagnostic Radiology, the analysis also indicates that those who do have greater radiation safety knowledge do not necessarily consider it when referring patients for imaging. Experts involved in the analysis believe their findings emphasize the need for ongoing educational initiatives on radiation exposure for docs who practice in ED settings.
“ED clinicians play a significant role in ensuring appropriate imaging utilization by considering clinical indication, expected diagnostic benefit, radiation exposure, and the availability of suitable alternative modalities when making referral decisions,” Marziyeh Tahmasbi, PhD, with the Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences in Iran, and colleagues noted. “Despite the clinical importance of this issue, evidence regarding clinicians' radiation dose knowledge and radiation protection–related imaging referral practices remains limited, particularly among multidisciplinary ED clinicians.”
The cross-sectional study included 90 medical interns, residents, general practitioners and specialist physicians. Each completed a questionnaire assessing their radiation-related education, perceived knowledge, objective knowledge of radiation dose and associated health risks, and radiation protection-related imaging referral practices.
Only 27.8% of participants reported receiving formal education related to radiation. On a 0-to-11 scale, participants had a mean objective radiation knowledge score of 5.70, while their mean self-perceived knowledge score was 3.29 on a scale ranging from 2-to-10. The mean score for imaging referral practices was 8.59 on a 3-to-15 scale.
Importantly, objective radiation knowledge was not significantly associated with referral practices. Nor was self-perceived knowledge associated with referral practices or objective knowledge. Despite the participants responses regarding their lack of radiation safety education, more than 70% acknowledged the importance of it.
The findings suggest that simply increasing clinicians’ factual knowledge about radiation may not be sufficient to change imaging referral behavior. The researchers said clinically integrated, longitudinal radiation safety education could help strengthen imaging justification, referral decisions and communication with patients about radiation risks.
“Educational initiatives may particularly benefit from emphasizing examination justification, comparative radiation doses, communication of radiation-related risks and benefits, and appropriate use of non-ionizing alternatives,” the authors concluded. “Such strategies warrant further evaluation for their potential to improve referral decision-making and patient safety.”
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In addition to her background in journalism, Hannah also has patient-facing experience in clinical settings, having spent more than 12 years working as a registered rad tech. She began covering the medical imaging industry for Innovate Healthcare in 2021.