Promoting Children's Participation in Conventional X-ray Examinations

Many children receive healthcare services during their childhood. In Sweden, approximately 330,000 children aged 0-15 require conventional X-ray examinations annually. It is imperative that the justification for conducting these X-ray examinations on children is carefully considered. Improper positioning during the image capturing process can result in inadequate images that do not provide necessary diagnostic information. This may require that the X-ray procedure must be repeated, leading to unnecessary exposure of children to radiation. This situation poses complexities as a means to minimize the occurrence of repeated imaging procedures and minimize unnecessary radiation exposure, children may be subject to some level of restraint.

Effective January 1, 2020, Sweden adopted the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child into law, with the aim of enhancing and elucidating the rights of children.

This entails that children are entitled to receive care from personnel who possess the expertise and qualifications necessary to uphold both the physical and mental well-being of children, as well as their rights, prior to, during, and following a procedure such as an X-ray examination.

The radiographer plays a significant role in determining the outcome of pediatric examinations, impacting both the child's experience and the quality of imaging as well as the radiation dose received. This study investigates the perceptions of health care professionals regarding pediatric examinations, focusing on procedure, child centered approach, and overall experience during conventional X-ray procedures. Additionally, it explores the experiences of children and their parents during examinations, including children's level of participation in the process. It is also essential to evaluate the physical indicators, this in the form of changes in the child's pulse rate.

To establish a standard baseline for normal variation, investigators will measure pulse rates before, during, and after an examination using portable heart rate monitors.

The questionnaires will be answered by the population -children, parents and the examining radiographer after each examination has been completed and will mainly consist of shorter multiple-choice options with the possibility of extended answers in cases where additions need to be made.

For the parts that are common between the three groups, the questions to the children are taken from a questionnaire about children's participation. Parents and radiographers receive the same questions and answers on a Likert scale.

A descriptive and comparative analysis will be done with the support of different software, Excel and SPSS.