Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 13, 2025
Whole-body PET/MRI of Pediatric Patients: The Details That Matter
Published on: December 19, 2017
Radiation risk-benefit communication during paediatric CT imaging: Experiences of radiographers at two public
C N Aipanda1, A Karera1, L Kalondo1
1University of Namibia, Faculty of Health Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, School of Allied Health Sciences, Department of Radiography, P.O Box 13301, Windhoek, Namibia.
Insights
Radiographers experienced both positive and negative aspects when communicating radiation risks and benefits for pediatric CT scans. Continuous education is recommended to improve patient-centered care and address communication barriers.
Area of Science:
- Medical Imaging
- Radiological Sciences
- Patient Communication
Background:
- Effective communication of radiation dose and risks is crucial for radiographers and radiologists to meet legal obligations and optimize pediatric imaging.
- Previous studies indicate radiographers often fail to adequately inform parents/guardians about radiation doses and risks before pediatric procedures.
- Challenges in communicating ionizing radiation risks stem from complex terminology and lack of understanding among non-imaging personnel.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore and describe radiographers' experiences with radiation risk-benefit communication during pediatric CT imaging.
- To understand the effectiveness of current communication processes in pediatric CT imaging.
- To identify areas for corrective action to improve communication in pediatric CT procedures.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative, exploratory, descriptive research design.
- Data collected through face-to-face individual interviews with 12 purposively selected radiographers from CT departments.
- Thematic analysis using Tesch's 8 steps to identify themes and subthemes.
Main Results:
- Two major themes emerged: positive experiences (job satisfaction, mutual benefit) and negative experiences (professional deprecation, ineffectual outcomes, communication impediments).
- Positive experiences enhanced radiographers' confidence and participation in risk-benefit communication.
- Negative experiences hindered patient-centered care during risk-benefit communication processes.
Conclusions:
- Positive communication experiences enhance radiographer confidence and engagement.
- Negative experiences impede patient-centered care in radiation risk-benefit communication.
- Continuous education for radiographers and doctors on radiation risk-benefit communication is recommended to improve pediatric CT patient care.
Introduction:
Radiation dose knowledge and effective communication skills are essential for both radiographers and radiologists to be able to appropriately fulfil their legal responsibilities to justify each medical exposure. Furthermore, they enable the optimisation of imaging protocols and techniques according to the child's characteristics and underlying clinical conditions. Previous studies have shown that radiographers do not provide paediatric patients and their parents/guardians with adequate information about doses and risks before a procedure. However, they have a legal responsibility to explain the radiation risk associated with performing the procedure as well as the associated risk of not performing the same procedure. There are several obstacles to describing ionizing radiation risk, including the ionizing radiation language that is not readily understood by non-imaging personnel. This study aimed to explore and describe the radiographers' experiences of radiation risk-benefit communication during paediatric CT imaging at two public hospitals. This is important to understand the effectiveness of the communication process and institute corrective action where shortcomings are evident.
Methods:
A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive research design was applied. The sample consisted of 12 purposively selected radiographers who were trained and working in the CT imaging department. Data were collected using face-to-face individual interviews. Tesch's 8 steps were used to analyse the data collected and generate themes and subthemes.
Results:
Two themes emerged from the data collected: (1)Positive experiences with two sub-themes (job satisfaction and mutual benefit) and (2) negative experiences with three sub-themes (.professional deprecation, ineffectual outcomes and communication impediments).
Conclusion:
Positive experiences boosted radiographers' confidence and enhanced their participation in radiation risk-benefit communication with paediatric patients' parents and guardians while negative experiences hindered patient-centred care in the process of risk-benefit communication.
Implications For Practice:
Continuous education of radiographers and doctors on radiation risk-benefit communication before paediatric CT procedures is recommended, in line with their scope of practice, to improve patient-centred care.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Radiological Investigation I: X-ray and CT
01:13Radiological Investigation III: Pulmonary Angiogram and PET Scan
Pulmonary Angiogram
A Pulmonary Angiogram is an invasive procedure involving injecting a contrast medium through a catheter threaded into the pulmonary artery or the right side of the heart to visualize the pulmonary vasculature. Computed Tomography (CT) scans have mainly replaced this...
01:24X-ray Imaging
01:14Imaging Studies I: CT and MRI
Description of the Procedures
Computed Tomography (CT) scan:
Computed Tomography (CT) scans use X-ray technology to generate detailed images of bones, organs, and tissues. During the scan, the patient lies on a moving table...
01:20Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System III: X-Ray
Definition and Purpose
An X-ray, or radiograph, is a non-invasive method that uses ionizing radiation to take images of internal structures. It is mainly used in cardiac imaging to examine the heart, lungs, and major blood vessels, aiming to identify abnormalities in the heart's size, shape, and position, such as heart failure, congenital defects, and vascular...
02:59Biological Effects of Radiation