Assessment of Physician Knowledge, Attitude and Safety Practice Towards Radiation Safety

Abstract

Background: Radiations plays an important role in various diagnostic and therapeutic procedures within health facilities, but its use poses inherent risks to both healthcare professionals and patients. Understanding the knowledge, attitude, and safety practices of physicians in relation to radiation safety is paramount for ensuring the well-being of all stakeholders involved. Physicians, as key decision-makers in medical procedures involving radiation, need to be well-informed about the associated risks and safety measures. Objective: To determine the physician knowledge, attitude and safety practice towards radiation safety. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Settings: Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Islamabad Pakistan. Duration: March 2020 to February 2021. Methods: All the physician relevant to exposure to ionizing radiation, such as radiology, nuclear medicine, interventional cardiology, and oncology, having minimum one year or more experience in radiological field of either age and gender were included.  Data collection was carried out through a structured questionnaire, specifically designed to evaluate participants' understanding of radiation safety principles, their attitudes towards adherence to safety protocols, and their day-to-day practices in radiological procedures. The collected data was analyzed using appropriate statistical methods SPSS version 26. Results: Majority of participants experience medical radiation exposure less than once per week (42.1%), with a significant portion having exposure more than three times per week (40.8%). 90.8% of participants have never undergone a radiation protection course, despite 73.7% expressing willingness to participate in such a course if provided by their institution. 52.7% strongly disagreed that radiation significantly affects childbearing, while 39.5% believe they are safe within 1 meter of radiation exposure. On a positive note, 86.8% of participants correctly identified the ALARA principle for radiation protection. Regarding the implementation of safety protocols, only 28.9% were more likely to wear a lead apron, and 22.4% never wore it. Conclusion: Health care professionals lacks adequate knowledge, training and attitude regarding radiation safety protocols. Lack of adequate knowledge and training leads to poor utilization of radiation safety equipment and it is a source of health hazard for both medical professionals and the patients.