Knowledge about imaging modalities, risks, and protection in radiology among medical students at the University of Hail

AIM: The aim of this study was to evaluate awareness and knowledge about radiation risks and safety principles among medical students at the College of Medicine, University of Hail, Hail, Saudi Arabia, in their clinical years. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, an anonymous electronic questionnaire was sent to 174 randomly selected students in clinical years 4–6. The questionnaire contained 38 questions. The respondents’ answers to these questions were used to classify them according to their demographic characteristics and to evaluate their knowledge about common imaging modalities, radiation risks, and safety measures. The data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software, version 22. RESULTS: Seventy-five (51.7%) of 145 respondents were female and 70 (48.3%) were male. Fifty-five respondents (37.9%) were in year 4, 38 (26.2%) were in year 5, and 52 (35.9%) were in year 6. The mean score for knowledge about common imaging modalities was 4.10 ± 2.030 of 10, that for knowledge about the risks of radiation was 3.17 ± 1.954 (range, 0–8) of 13, and that for knowledge about radiation protection measures was low at 0.79 ± 0.922 (range, 0–4) of 8. Overall, there was an improvement in knowledge about the imaging modalities and the risks of radiation as the number of clinical years increased (P = 0.000), but it was still unsatisfactory. CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicate that the medical students at the University of Hail have very limited knowledge about radiation risks and safety measures. These findings highlight the need for urgent action to improve students’ knowledge of these topics.