Assessing Patient Awareness and Misconceptions Regarding MRI Radiation Risks in China: A Questionnaire Study.
Jiaojiao Chen, Siyuan Yang, Jianying Li and 3 others
PMID 42452981WHAT IT FOUND
More than 60% of patients at this Chinese hospital thought MRI involves radiation and poses health risks.
Over 55% were unsure about contrast agent safety. Medical staff were the preferred information source.
Key findings
01More than 60% of respondents mistakenly believed MRI involved radiation and posed health risks, while only about 13% provided the correct answer.
02Only around 15% correctly answered that the contrast medium was non-radioactive and harmless, and about 30% incorrectly believed contact with children or pregnant women should be avoided after contrast administration.
03Medical professionals, the internet or social media, and booklets ranked as the top three preferred sources of MRI safety information.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The questionnaire was not validated in this sample, so the scores may not reliably measure what they are intended to measure. All answers came from patient self-report, which can be affected by recall and subjective perception. Participants were selected by convenience sampling from a single tertiary hospital in China, so the results may not apply to other regions, hospitals, or patient groups. The study measured existing beliefs and did not test an education intervention, so it cannot show that teaching improves MRI compliance or reduces anxiety.
Declared interests
The authors reported no funding and no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that nurse-led education will reduce misconceptions or improve MRI compliance. This study measured existing patient beliefs only; it did not test an education intervention, and the sample was from a single hospital.