RSSA-Patient Perception of Radiologists’ Roles in Medical Care in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Background: Published literature has shown that the nature of the duties of radiologists and the roles they play in the course of patients’ medical care is usually not as clear to patients as the roles of clinicians. Even the nature of the qualifications radiologists have is often ambiguous. Are they physicians? Technicians? or are they nurses who received additional training? The extent of this misunderstanding differs from country to country, and the first step in correcting any misconceptions is to understand its extent. The purpose of this study is to explore the gap in patients’ understanding and perceptions of the roles of radiologists in their clinical care in Saudi Arabia. Methods: This is a survey-based Cross-sectional study. It consists of 12 questions divided into 4 categories that assess patients’ perceptions about the nature of the work of radiologists, the role of the radiologists in their management plan, the type of duties radiologists play, and the nature of interaction between physicians and radiologists. Result: Thirty-eight percent of participants believed that radiologists are not true doctors, 70% disagreed that radiologists can prescribe medications to their patients, and 37% disagreed that radiologists can treat some cancers and internal bleeding. Participants with higher education were more oriented about the roles of radiologists in their management plans. Finally, 45% of participants reported that they do not have enough information about radiologists’s roles in their management plans. Conclusion: Patients’ perception of the role of radiologists is incomplete and inaccurate. Bet- ter communication between radiologists and patients and patient education campaigns can improve these inaccuracies.