An assessment of medical students’ proficiency regarding the hazards of radiological examinations on the health of workers and patients: a cross-sectional study from Palestine

Abstract

Background The use of radiological examination is increasing worldwide. Since radiation exposure can result in many health hazards, medical professionals, as well as medical students, should possess adequate knowledge regarding radiation and its related hazards to protect themselves and the patients. Many studies have assessed medical students’ knowledge on this topic, but never in Palestine. In this study, we aimed to examine Palestinian medical students’ awareness and knowledge regarding radiological examination modalities and their risks on themselves and their patients. Methods This was an observational, cross-sectional, population-based study, conducted to assess the awareness of radiation exposure and its risks among Palestinian medical students. An online questionnaire was implemented on medical students at An-Najah National University. A total knowledge score that ranged from 0 to 22 was calculated for each participant, with higher scores indicating better knowledge regarding radiation doses and the related hazards. Results Two hundred eighty and seven students participated in our study, with a response rate of 71%. The average knowledge score of the participants was 10.97 ± 4.31 out of a maximum of 22 points. Male participants and participants in advanced study years achieved better knowledge scores (p-values were 0.034 and < 0.001, respectively). Perceived radiology knowledge was significantly associated with the actual knowledge score among the participants (p-value< 0.001). Receiving radiology lectures in fourth and fifth years significantly affected the participants’ knowledge score (p-values were < 0.001). Conclusions We found a severe lack of knowledge regarding radiation doses and related risks among medical students. Therefore, we recommend that medical schools update and supplement their curriculum regarding knowledge on radiation.

Assessment of the knowledge of radiology in exiting medical students in University of Calabar

“…In a Palestinian based study, Awadghanem et al [12] noted that male participants achieved a higher score in general radiology knowledge assessment when compared to female participants (P 0.034). This is consistent with the results of our study.…”

“…Probably male students were encouraged to pursue a career in Radiology than their female counterparts were and this encouragement likely heightened the interest of males to learn more during the posting. [12] Vinod et al [9] observed that male undergraduate students who showed fondness for Radiology were 75 in number compared to 25 female students. They had the notion that this was probably because there were more male entrants into most medical schools than females.…”

Socio-demographic determinants of safety practices among medical radiological workers in Port Harcourt Metropolis of Rivers State

“…Sima et al (2017) illustrated that radiation workers who had worked for longer years may have good experience and would likely practice safety precautionary measures. Recently, Cha et al (2020) and Awadghanem et al (2020) both studies reported that radiation workers who have over 8 years of work experience been more likely to show signs of health issues if he/she had not been complying with safety protocols during work proceedings. Dehghani et al (2014) added that job experience does matter mostly with safety awareness and utilization of protective equipment in the health facility.…”

Awareness of Radiation Hazards and Knowledge About Radiation Protection Among Medical Students at the Northern Border University, Arar

“…More detailed information is provided by CT scans than by standard X-ray examinations [ 3 ]. The use of CT scans has increased to 70 million scans per year since 1993 in the US [ 4 ].…”

“…More detailed information is provided by CT scans than by standard X-ray examinations [3]. The use of CT scans has increased to 70 million scans per year since 1993 in the US [4]. However, while these radiologic tests are helpful in the diagnosis and treatment of patients, there are certain drawbacks as well.…”