Assessments of Medical Student's Knowledge About Radiation Protection and Different Imaging Modalities in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

TL;DR

Medical students in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, show low knowledge about radiation protection but moderate to high knowledge about imaging modalities, suggesting a need for curriculum improvements.

Contribution

The study identifies a gap in radiation protection knowledge among medical students and proposes curriculum modifications to address it.

Findings

Medical students had a low average score (43) in radiation protection knowledge.

Students showed moderate–high knowledge (68) in imaging modalities.

A comprehensive curriculum revision is needed to improve radiation safety education.

Abstract

Introduction: Doctors can play a significant role in attributing to patient safety concerning exposure to ionizing radiation. Therefore, healthcare professionals should have adequate knowledge about radiation risk and protection of different medical imaging examinations. This study aims to evaluate the knowledge about radiation protection (RP) and applications of different imaging modalities (IMs) among medical students in their clinical years and intern, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study based on an online questionnaire was performed in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on 170 medical students during January 2024; the study participants included clinical years medical students (from Years 4 to 6) and interns of both gender and basic year medical students, and specialists and consultants were excluded. For each participant, the percentage of correct answers was calculated for the knowledge RP and knowledge in IMs separately, and each participant will have two scores, RP knowledge score (RPKS) and IM knowledge score (IMKS).

Results: A total of 170 medical students responded and completed the questionnaire. The overall levels of awareness and knowledge of the students was determined through calculations of their scores in answering the questionnaire; students in this study group have low average knowledge score in RP, which is 43, while they have moderate–high knowledge score in IMs, which is 68. Regarding the knowledge score, for the RPKS, the best participant scored 82, while the worst scored 0, whereas for IMKS, the best participant score 100, while the worst scored 0. However, according to the SD, participants generally differ between each other by 19 in RPKS and 31 in IMKS.

Conclusions: The assessments of medical students' knowledge regarding radiation exposure in diagnostic modalities reveal a low level of confidence in their knowledge of ionizing radiation dose parameters. Furthermore, the mean scores on overall knowledge assessments indicate a need for improvement in RP knowledge for medical students. To address this gap, a comprehensive modification of the undergraduate medical curriculum's radiology component is required by enhancing active learning approaches and integrating radiation safety courses early in the medical curriculum. Medical education institutions could implement ongoing workshops, online modules, and certification programs to reinforce radiation safety principles.