Effectiveness of structured teaching program on knowledge regarding hazards of radiation exposure among patients attending tertiary hospital, Karad

Abstract

Background: Exposure to extremely high radiation levels can cause severe health implications such as skin burns or acute radiation
syndrome and long-term health consequences, including cancer and cardiovascular disease. Unfortunately, many patients are often
unaware of the hazards associated with radiation exposure.
Objective: To assess the current awareness of individuals attending the department of radiology regarding radiation exposure hazards
and the effectiveness of the formal teaching program on radiation exposure hazards among them.
Method: The study was carried out in 50 randomly selected individuals aged 30-50 years hospitalized in the radiology department of
Krishna hospital, Karad. To obtain socio-demographic details and expert status, we used a questionnaire for pre-test and post-test.
Descriptive and inferential statistics were performed through Instat software to analyze the obtained data.
Result: Prior to the start of the training program, 60% of patients had no knowledge about the hazards related to radiation exposure.
After attending the structured training program, the level of knowledge was good in 44% of patients, average in 48%, poor in 8% of
patients. There was no significant association between the pre-test score of knowledge level and demographic variables, including age,
occupation, and source of information. The significantly higher post-test score for knowledge level for hazards of radiation exposure
was observed in patients as compared to the pre-test score.
Conclusion: The structured teaching program could be an effective method to improve the knowledge level in patients regarding the
hazards associated with radiation exposure.