Patient Perceptions of CT Imaging in a Diverse Patient Sample

Area of Science:

• Radiology and Imaging
• Health Services Research
• Patient Experience

Background:

• Computed tomography (CT) is a widely used diagnostic imaging tool.
• Understanding patient perceptions of CT is crucial for improving healthcare delivery and patient satisfaction.
• Sociodemographic factors may influence patient experiences and perceptions of medical procedures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe patient perceptions of CT examinations.
• To evaluate how patient perceptions of CT vary based on sociodemographic characteristics.

Main Methods:

• A survey was administered to 302 adult patients undergoing outpatient CT scans.
• The survey assessed patient knowledge, perceived benefits, barriers, expectations, and trust related to CT.
• Statistical analyses, including heterogeneous choice models, were used to examine associations between patient characteristics and perceptions.

Main Results:

• A large majority of patients reported positive perceptions of CT, including high knowledge (71%-97%), positive expectations (94%-98%), high trust (92%), and perceived benefits (67%-93%).
• Reported barriers to CT examination were low (9%-17%).
• Patient perceptions of CT did not significantly vary across different sociodemographic characteristics in this study sample.

Conclusions:

• Patient perceptions of CT examinations are highly positive among a diverse patient population.
• Sociodemographic characteristics did not appear to influence patient perceptions of CT in this study.