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Abstract
The study tested the level of knowledge and awareness of psychological impact of radiation exposure in the patients undergoing the diagnostic imaging at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH). The convenient sampling was carried out using a descriptive cross-sectional survey design where 127 adult patients who had X-ray and CT scan procedures were sampled. The structured questionnaire was used to gather data, and it was analyzed with SPSS version 25.0. The findings revealed that respondents were ill-informed on the psychological impacts of radiation exposure with 58.3 percent being poor awareness and 62.2 percent being low awareness. Most patients (71.7) said that they became anxious or feared at the time they were told about radiation-based imaging, and 68.5% voiced their concern about long-term psychological impacts. The degree of knowledge of radiation exposure and the response of the patient to it were significantly related (kh2 = 18.42, p = 0.001). The most important results in the scope of the research were that 76.4 percent of patients were never informed of psychological impacts by medical professionals, and 83.5 percent would like to be informed prior to their surgeries. The level of education and past imaging experience also had significant impact on the level of knowledge (p < 0.05). The research finds out that there are gaps in knowledge and awareness which are some of the contributory factors of psychological suffering among the patients at UBTH. Radiographers are advised to involve the use of patient-centered communication techniques to enhance the overall patient experience during radiation-based diagnostic imaging, create educational resources in the area of psychological effects, and acquire training in empathetic counseling. Keywords: Radiation exposure, psychological effects, patient knowledge, patient awareness, diagnostic imaging, UBTH.
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