Assessment of Whether Patients' Knowledge, Satisfaction, and Experience Regarding Their 18F-Fluoride PET/CT Examination Affects Image Quality

• The aim of this study was to investigate patients’ previous knowledge, satisfaction and experience regarding a (18F)-fluoride positron emission tomography / computed tomography examination ((18F)-fluoride PET/CT) and to explore whether experienced discomfort during the examination or pain was associated with reduced image quality. A further aim was to explore whether patients’ health-related quality of life (HRQoL) was associated with their satisfaction and experiences of the examination.Methods: Fifty consecutive patients with a histopathological diagnosis of prostate cancer who were scheduled for (18F)-fluoride PET/CT were asked to participate in the study, which was performed between November 2011 and April 2013. A questionnaire was used to collect information regarding the patients’ previous knowledge and experience of the examination. Image quality assessment was performed according to an arbitrary scale. The EORTC-QLQ-C30 and QLQ-PR25 were used to assess HRQoL.Results: Forty-six patients (96%) completed the questionnaires. Twenty-six per cent of participants did not know at all what a (18F)-fluoride PET/CT examination was. The majority (52-70%) were to a very high degree satisfied with the care provided by the nursing staff but less satisfied with the information given prior to the examination. The image quality was similar in patients who were exhausted or claustrophobic during the examination and those who were not. No correlations between HRQoL and the participants’ experience of (18F)-fluoride PET/CT were found.Conclusion: The majority of participants were satisfied with the care provided by the nursing staff, but there is still room for improvement especially regarding the information prior to the examination. Long examination time may be strenuous, for the patient but there was no difference in image quality between patients who felt discomfort during the examination or pain and those who did not.

Ämnesord

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Radiologi och bildbehandling (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Medical Imaging (hsv//eng)

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