D. A. López et al.: Radioprotection 2025, 60( 4), 318 – 327 323
Table 3. Distribution of NM studies exposure level collected, analyzed, and reported by the participant of the practical part.
Study Type |
Number |
Study Type |
Number |
99m Tc-MDP( Oncologic bone scan) |
20 |
99m Tc- DMSA Renal |
2 |
99m Tc-MDP SPECT / CT |
8 |
99m Tc- DMSA Renal pediatric patients |
2 |
99m Tc-MDP Oncologic Pediatric patients |
8 |
99m Tc-MIBI Cardiac Perfussion studies |
5 |
18 F-FDG( PET / CT) |
17 |
99m Tc-MIBI Parathyroid |
2 |
68 Ga-DOTA( PET / CT) |
1 |
99m Tc- DTPA Renal |
4 |
18 F-PSMA( PET / CT) |
1 |
99m Tc- DTPA Renal Pediatric patients |
2 |
Tiroides( 99m Tc- Pertecnetate) |
1 |
99m Tc-Nanocolloid |
1 |
201 Tl- cloruro Cardiac Perfussion studies |
1 |
131 I-Iodine( Thyroid cancer survey) |
1 |
99m Tc- MAG-3 Renal |
1 |
131 I-Iodine( Thyroid uptake) |
1 |
|
|
Total |
78 |
30
25
Agree enough Agree Strongly agree
27
|
Par�cipants
20
15
10
|
6
17 17
|
7
18 15
|
9
13
18
|
18
15 15
13 12
7
|
9
12
19
|
6 |
7 |
5 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
0 a) b) c) d) e) f) g)
Quan�ta�ve ques�ons
Figure 3. Quality survey result using 5 points Likert scale per question.
growing interest in radiation protection and the establishment of Diagnostic Reference Levels( DRLs) among diverse professional backgrounds. The heterogeneous composition of the participants comprising medical physicists, technologists, students, and physicians highlights the potential for interprofessional collaboration in addressing critical issues related to patient safety in nuclear medicine( Ubeda et al., 2019; Lee et al., 2020; Damilakis et al., 2021; Health Information and Quality Authority, 2023; López et al., 2023). The considerable engagement with theoretical activities on the IO YouTube channel( ranging from 207 to 402 views) and an average playlist view time of 5.4 hours per user confirm participants’ interest and indirectly highlight the usefulness of the materials. The development of DRLs involved a multidisciplinary team, which may explain the diverse composition of participants, despite the predominance of medical physicists.
4.1 Engagement Metrics
Despite the high engagement with theoretical materials, only 31 % of participants completed the planned theoretical evaluation. This phenomenon aligns with findings from other studies that report high dropout rates in online postgraduate programmes, particularly those involving a diverse array of professional backgrounds( Quintero-Guasca et al., 2021; Xavier and Meneses, 2021; Rahmani, Groot and Rahmani, 2024). The reasons for this dropout can be attributed to several interconnected factors, including personal circumstances, socioeconomic challenges, and academic pressures( Meza Villares et al., 2023; Varkey et al., 2023). In our case, we suggest that these factors are closely linked to the course structure and workload, particularly concerning workload management and time availability in clinical scenarios. Additionally, differences in participants’ national regulatory frameworks, the availability of radiation protection courses, and their curricular backgrounds may have contributed to this trend in different ways.
It is well known that effective radiation protection in medical exposure relies on clear regulations, strict enforcement, and proper training( IAEA Safety Standards Series No. SSG-46, 2018; IAEA, 2023; Mojeed Omotayo Adelodun and Evangel Chinyere Anyanwu, 2024c, 2024a). While core principles such as justification, optimization, and dose limits are widely accepted, enforcement varies across countries.