title: Ionizing Radiation Knowledge Among Emergency Department Providers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to assess knowledge of ionizing radiation exposure from diagnostic imaging examinations among emergency department (ED) providers.
  
  
  METHODS
  An electronic questionnaire was distributed to ED providers in a five-hospital university-affiliated health care system. Providers included attending emergency medicine (EM) physicians, EM residents, and midlevel providers (MLPs) (nurse practitioners and physicians assistants). Data were collected and analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred six of 210 providers (41 attending physicians, 32 residents, and 31 MLPs) completed the survey, for a response rate of 50.5%. More than two in five providers (44.6%) could not correctly identify which of six common imaging modalities used ionizing radiation. MLPs were more likely to incorrectly identify radiography (25%) and fluoroscopy (29%) as modalities that did not use ionizing radiation (P = .01 and P = .25 respectively). Fewer attending physicians (14.6%) than residents (37.5%) were not very comfortable or were uncomfortable explaining the risks of radiation to patients. Nearly half of attending physicians (47.5%) and nearly three-quarters of residents (71.9%) were not very comfortable, were uncomfortable, or were extremely uncomfortable explaining the amount of radiation in certain imaging tests to patients. MLPs were more likely to incorrectly rank a selection of imaging tests by radiation exposure (P = .002). MLPs were more likely to incorrectly answer a question on the effects of ionizing radiation on patients (P = .01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Among ED providers, there are knowledge gaps regarding the presence and effect of ionizing radiation in diagnostic imaging tests. MLPs were more likely to make factual errors, while EM residents were least comfortable counseling patients about radiation risks.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Noah
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ditkofsky
authors.affiliation: Division of Emergency Radiology, Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia.
authors.forename: Haris N
authors.initials: HN
authors.lastname: Shekhani
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia.
authors.forename: Megan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cloutier
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia.
authors.forename: Zhengjia Nelson
authors.initials: ZN
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia.
authors.forename: Chao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Division of Emergency Radiology, Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia. Electronic address: tarek.hanna@emory.edu.
authors.forename: Tarek N
authors.initials: TN
authors.lastname: Hanna
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005845:Georgia; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000069079:Radiation Exposure / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011835:Radiation Protection / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011839:Radiation, Ionizing
keywords: Radiology; emergency department; medical imaging; radiation