Chicago, IL, Dec. 9, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- If a patient is familiar with a specific medical scan, be it MR, PET, or CT, the chances are significantly greater he/she will agree to undergo an exam at a physician's suggestion. And despite recent media coverage about how much radiation is too much radiation; most adults have little idea which tests use radiation and which don't! These are just some of the findings of a new study conducted by Braun Research.
See video from Siemens at: http://inr.synapticdigital.com/siemens/rsna2011/
The study, released by the Siemens Radiation Reduction Alliance (SIERRA), an expert panel established to advance the cause of dose reduction in medical imaging, looked at the decision-making process of more than 1,000 U.S. adults in response to situations where a medical scan is recommended by a physician. While a majority of respondents would proceed with suggested exams, there were clear trends among those who would not. Among the most common reasons cited: the exam might not be necessary; I'd want other options; and I don't know enough about the exam.
So what should patients consider before undergoing any scan? What are doctors really looking to find when they suggest a scan? And what are the major differences between all of these tests? Don Rucker, M.D., Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of Siemens Healthcare, is available to answer these questions and more, live from Chicago, Illinois, where thousands of physicians and imaging experts are gathered for the Radiological Society of North America's annual conference.