Justification of radiological procedures: Radiographers' experiences at two public hospitals

BACKGROUND

Justification is a process conducted by the radiographer in consultation with the radiologist to evaluate radiological procedures ordered by doctors. The main purpose for justifying all radiologic procedures is to assess the benefits and risks of a requested radiographic procedure and determine whether exposure will continue. Furthermore, justification helps to prevent unnecessary radiation exposure and reduce the chances of harmful effects of ionizing radiation.

OBJECTIVES

The study aimed to explore the experiences of radiographers regarding the justification of radiological procedures at two public hospitals in Namibia METHODS: This study made use of a qualitative, exploratory design. A total number of 13 purposefully selected radiographers from radiology departments in two tertiary public - hospitals in Namibia were interviewed using a semi-structured interview guide and audio recorder. All interviews were conducted face-to-face until data saturation was achieved. Data were analysed using Atlas.ti Windows (version 9.0 using Tesch's 8-step method of qualitative data analysis to generate themes and subthemes.

FINDINGS

The participants experienced an enhancement of patient care through enhanced radiation protection and optimised patient care. They also experienced defunct communication systems through deficient communication between radiographers and referrers, professional role conflict and incomplete referrals.

CONCLUSION

The study revealed that the justification of radiological procedures was linked to both negative and positive experiences. Enhanced patient-centred care was a positive experience related to the radiographers' job responsibilities. The defunct communication support system was a negative experience as it related to the limited availability and utilisation of communication systems that are meant to enhance and support justification by radiographers. The study recommends an in-depth study to quantify unjustified procedures in these two hospital departments. Continuous professional development focusing on justification and referral protocols must be conducted jointly between radiographers and referrers to create awareness and a platform for shared decision-making models.