Assessment of Knowledge and Practice of Justification of Medical Exposure Among Healthcare Practitioners in Asaba Specialist Hospital and Federal Medical Centre, Asaba

Abstract

Justification of medical exposure is essential for optimizing patient safety by ensuring that the benefits of radiological procedures outweigh the risks. This study assessed the knowledge and practice of justification of medical exposure among medical and dental practitioners in Asaba metropolis.A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 180 healthcare practitioners, comprising 122 (67.8%) males and 58 (32.2%) females. Respondents were selected from two hospitals: Federal Medical Centre Asaba (FMCA) and Asaba Specialist Hospital (ASHA). Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics and correlation analysis. The findings revealed that 84.4% of medical practitioners and 67.6% of dental practitioners had adequate knowledge of justification of medical exposure. However, the practice of justification was poor, with only 10.1% of medical practitioners and 25.4% of dental practitioners adhering to proper justification protocols. A weak correlation (r = 0.144, p = 0.135) was observed between knowledge and practice among medical practitioners, while a moderate correlation (r = 0.403, p = 0.000) was found among dental practitioners. Additionally, knowledge of radiation safety and hazards was low, with only 19.3% of medical practitioners and 42.3% of dental practitioners demonstrating adequate awareness.Despite a relatively high level of knowledge of justification principles, the poor adherence to justification protocols highlights a gap between knowledge and practice. The weak correlation between these variables suggests that institutional policies and workload may influence practitioners’ compliance. Targeted interventions, such as integrating radiation safety training into medical curricula, mandatory continuing education, and policy reinforcement in hospitals, are necessary to improve adherence to justification principles and enhance patient safety.