How dangerous is radiation from diagnostic medical exposures

Radiation awareness among the general public is low in Ireland. Occasional media coverage brings heightened awareness, mostly after an incident. Further, patients increasingly use online search engines to read about the risks and effects of their imaging procedure. The Basic Safety Standards (BSS) directive 2013/59/EURATOM places a further emphasis on the practitioner and/or referer to inform the patient of the benefits and risks associated with radiation dose. The aim of this study was to evaluate what level of understanding there currently is of radiation and its associated risks and benefits. We designed a survey consisting of ten multiple choice questions and asked members of the public as well as healthcare professionals to respond. Here we present an analysis of the survey results including a breakdown of the perceived risks from various cohorts of respondents.