An Evaluation of Health Numeracy among Radiation Therapists and Dosimetrists

摘要: Abstract Purpose Medical errors in radiation oncology sometimes involve tasks reliant on practitioners’ grasp of numeracy. Numeracy has been shown to be suboptimal across various health care professionals. Herein, we assess numeracy among American Society Radiologic Technologists (ASRT) members. Methods and materials The Understanding for Medicine instrument (NUMi), an measure the general population, was adapted this study distributed ASRT members (n = 14,228) 2017. Per NUMi scoring, scores were categorized as low (0-7), average (8-12), high (13-17), or (18-20). impact cGy versus Gy performance investigated. Spearman’s rho a Wilcox-Mann-Whitney test used comparisons between different groups. Results A total 662 eligible participants completed identified In scores, approximately 2% respondents scored low-average, 40% high-average, 58% high, with median score 18.0. Although optimum is unknown, one might expect our cohort have skills at least college freshmen. Roughly one-sixth group below freshmen (NUMi 15). subset analysis questions pertaining dose unit (cGy vs Gy), performed better (mean score: 2.94; range, 2-3) (mean: 2.91; 0-3; P .011). Conclusions limited sample size, overall quite good compared population. However, range wide, some lower that may concerning, suggesting issue requires improvement studied cohort. Performance superior cGy; thus, adoption standard reasonable.