Assessment of the Knowledge Level of Patients About Radiation: An Invisible Enemy in the Endourology Clinic

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to measure the level of knowledge of patients on the role of radiation used in the endourological intervention. Materials and Methods: Between January and February 2020, patients were asked to fill out an anonymous questionnaire before the procedure. The questionnaire included questions on demographics, ionizing radiation, and planned procedure. Results: Of the 118 respondents, 35.6% were female and 64.4% were male. The mean age was 55.6 +/- 15.3 years. Moreover, 25.4% of the participants were in the geriatric age (GA) group, and 17.4% were in the young age (YA) group. None of the GA group were aware of the risk when radiation was not used in the planned procedure, and the result was significant (p=0.006). Only 57% of the YA group and 34.4% of the GA group were aware of the harmful effects of radiation (p=0.027). Patients with higher education levels gave correct answers to the questions of whether the surgical procedure can be performed without radiation and whether they have knowledge about the negative effects of radiation (p=0.05, p=0.036). Conclusion: The results suggest that patients still have insufficient knowledge about fluoroscopy (X-ray), which has an important place in endourological surgeries, and they do not have enough knowledge about their planned procedure.