Awareness about Risks of Ionising Radiation Exposure in Imaging Investigations: a Clinician Survey

Purpose: To measure doctors’ knowledge of associated risks of exposure to computed tomography (CT) scans and other imaging procedures in a busy teaching hospital in England. Methods and materials: Doctors at the Royal Derby Hospital completed an online multiple-choice survey on their education and knowledge of the risks involved with exposure to ionising radiation. Results: Of 647 doctors contacted, 170 (26%) responded. Most respondents (65%) had received formal education on the risks of exposure to radiation. Almost all respondents identified that CT scans (98%) and chest X-rays (97%) involve ionising radiation. High proportions identified that isotope bone scans (84%) and positron emission tomography (PET) scans (81%), and very low proportions that magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans (8%) and ultrasound scans (4%), involve radiation. Lifetime cancer risk associated with a chest, abdomen and pelvis CT scan for a 20-year-old female was identified as approximately one in 30 (5%), one in 300 (the optimal response) (22%), one in 3000 (46%). The proportion underestimating risk as being either one in 30,000 or negligible was 27%. Conclusion: Over a third of respondents had received no formal education on the risks of exposure to ionising radiation, and over a quarter considered that the impact on lifetime cancer risk was either very small or negligible. As this is a potentially modifiable source of ionising radiation exposure, hospital doctors should receive regular mandatory education on the long-term risks of patient exposure to CT scans. This could promote consideration of alternative diagnostic strategies that avoid exposure to ionising radiation when possible