‘I thought it was just an x-ray’

Abstract

Cardiac SPECT-CT patients are often poorly informed and present with a range of anxieties that may ultimately affect examination quality. The imaging team requires an awareness of potential expectation-reality divides, even when there are no overt signs of worry and distress. Written patient information is undoubtedly helpful, but there is no substitute for ongoing and repeated explanations and reassurance by staff. These findings are likely to have implications for other complex nuclear medicine procedures, including noncardiac SPECT-CT examinations and emerging PET-CT applications.