Knowledge of radiation legislation and radiation exposure in common radiological investigations among final year medical students, foundation doctors, specialist radiology registrars and radiographers at a UK university teaching hospital

Abstract

Objective: Junior doctors routinely request radiological investigations for patients. Prior studies have noted that among this group there is a lack of knowledge on radiation legislation and radiation exposure in common radiological investigations. However, no studies have compared this against radiology trainees and radiographers. We compared knowledge of radiation legislation and radiation exposure in common radiological investigations among final year medical students (FYMS), foundation year doctors (FY1, FY2) against specialist radiology trainees (SRT) and radiographers (RG). Methods: A 12-question multiple choice questionnaire (MCQ) was distributed to FYMS, FY1, FY2, SRT and RG at a UK teaching hospital. Questions assessed knowledge of radiation legislation and radiation-dose estimates of common radiological investigations. Mean MCQ scores were compared using one-way ANOVA and Tukey post-test to determine statistical significance (p-value < 0.05). Results: 127 participants were included in the study. Mean scores (%) for FYMS (49.3%), FY1 (52.6%) and FY2 (51.1%) were significantly lower compared to SRT (64.4%) and RG (66.3%) (p-value < 0.05). Mean test scores between FYMS, FY1 and FY2 did not significantly differ (p-value > 0.05). Conclusion: FYMS, FY1 and FY2 knowledge of radiation legislation and radiation exposure in common radiological investigations was poor compared to SRT and RG. Patients require knowledge of radiation risk to provide informed consent as per IRMER regulations, thus we propose formal teaching on the subject matter to promote radiation safety culture among medical undergraduates and postgraduates. Advances in knowledge: First study to compare knowledge of radiation legislation and radiation exposure in common radiological investigations between medical students and junior doctors to radiology trainees and radiographers.

Investigation of awareness level concerning radiation safety among healthcare professionals who work in a radiation environment

“…A study conducted in healthcare professionals who are continuously involved in radiation-containing applications showed a success rate of 66.14% in theoretical knowledge across participants (4.63 correct answers on average in 7 questions) (Borgen & Stranden, 2014). The success rate in the present study was higher than that in comparative studies performed with other healthcare professionals (Khan et al, 2018). Nearly all of the participants in this study (98.6%) stated that they had knowledge of radiation protection and that they mostly (61.8%) gained this knowledge during training.…”

Radiation and Radiation Protection Awareness among Medical Imaging Program Students

“…A study conducted in England showed that medical students have insufficient knowledge about radiation hazards and protection from them. Additionally, knowledge did not improve as seniority increased (Khan et al 2019). A study conducted on 518 medical students in Saudi Arabia found that approximately 60% of participants did not know the radiation dose of a common imaging method such as a chest X-ray.…”

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

“…A study from the UK showed that medical students had poor knowledge about radiation hazards and their protection. Furthermore, the knowledge did not improve with increasing seniority [ 12 ]. In a study conducted on 518 medical students in Saudi Arabia, about 60% of the participants did not know the radiation dose of a common imaging modality like a chest X-ray.…”