Radioprotection (un)awareness in cardiologists, and how to improve it

Area of Science:

• Medical Physics
• Radiology
• Cardiology

Background:

• Cardiologists order most radiological tests, yet exhibit low awareness of radiation doses and risks from cardiac imaging.
• The International Atomic Energy Agency's
• 3 A's campaign
• (Audit, Appropriateness, Awareness) emphasizes radiological justification for cancer prevention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate radioprotection awareness among physicians, primarily cardiologists, before and after a dedicated training course.
• To assess the impact of a 1-day radioprotection primer on physicians' understanding of radiation doses and risks.

Main Methods:

• A 6-hour radioprotection course was delivered 9 times over 3 years to 425 physicians, with complete data from 403 attendees (55% cardiologists).
• A 10-question multiple-choice survey measured radiological awareness scores before and after the course.
• Scores were based on knowledge of radiation doses, cancer risks, and cumulative effects.

Main Results:

• The average radiological awareness score significantly increased from 31 ± 3 before training to 37 ± 2 after training (P < 0.001).
• Before the course, 25% incorrectly believed radiation cancer risk diminishes over time; this dropped to 2% post-training, with 98% understanding cumulative risk.
• The training dramatically improved understanding of radiation doses and risks essential for risk-benefit assessments.

Conclusions:

• Physician awareness of radiological doses and risks, particularly among cardiologists, is suboptimal.
• A brief, targeted radioprotection training course can significantly enhance physicians' awareness and understanding.
• Improved awareness is critical for appropriate radiological test justification and effective cancer prevention strategies.