Evaluation of Safety Measures and Related Factors in Yazd Radiation Therapy Center in the Face of Covid-19 in 2020

Nima Hamzian; Masood Shabani; Korosh Saber; Farzan Madadizadeh

doi:10.18502/ssu.v31i2.12552

Nima Hamzian Medical Physics Department, School of Medicine, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran.
Masood Shabani Department of Radiation Therapy-Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran.
Korosh Saber Department of Medical Physics, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
Farzan Madadizadeh Biostatistics and Epidemiology Departments, School of Public Health, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/ssu.v31i2.12552

Keywords: Safety, Covid-19, Radiation therapy, Questionnaire.

Abstract

Introduction: Studies have shown that Covid-19 infection affects the patient's decision-making processes for radiation therapy. The present study investigated the safety measures and related factors in Yazd Radiotherapy Center in the face of Covid-19 in 2020.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the autumn of 2020 with the participation of 20 staff (using census method) of the Radiation Therapy Center in Yazd City, Iran. The data were collected using the questionnaire of safety parameters in the face of Covid-19, which was designed by the African Federation of Medical Physics Organizations, and the average score of safety measures was calculated. For descriptive statistics, mean, standard deviation, frequency and frequency percentage were used and internal consistency was determined using Kuder-Richardson 20 (KR-20). Independent Two Sample t-test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used for inferential statistics. All analyses were performed in SPSS 16 with a significance level of 5%.

Results: In total, 60% (12 people) were female staff, 60% (12 people) were married and the mean (SD) age of the participants was 32.45±6.35) years. The mean (SD) score of safety measures in the face of Covid-19 was 11.3±2.31), which was moderate to high. Kuder Richardson-20 (KR20) was calculated to be 0.69. The results of statistical tests showed that the score of safety measures was not significantly related to demographic variables (P >0.05).

Conclusion: The score of safety measures in the presence of Covid-19 at the radiation therapy center was moderate to high.