Impact of the clinical role of interventional radiologists: results of the CLINTERVENTIONAL randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Objectives: To assess the impact of preprocedural consultations with interventional radiologists and explanatory videos of interventional radiology (IR) procedures on patients’ knowledge, satisfaction with information and communication, and anxiety regarding the procedure.

Materials and methods: A randomized, controlled, single-center trial (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT05461482) was conducted between August 2022 and April 2024. Patients scheduled for certain IR procedures were included. They were randomly assigned to a control group (standard information from the ordering physician) or experimental group (additional consultation with an interventional radiologist and access to explanatory videos about the procedures). Knowledge of the procedures (measured via multiple-choice questionnaires), satisfaction with the information and communication (Likert scales), and anxiety (Likert scale and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory) were assessed. Statistical analyses included Student’s t-test, the chi-square test, and mixed analysis of variance.

Results: Four hundred thirty patients (mean age, 62 years (13); 267 men) were included. The experimental group (n = 214), compared to the control group (n = 216), showed greater understanding of the procedures (10.5 (1.9) vs 5.1 (3.2); p < 0.001) and greater satisfaction with the information (8.9 (1.5) vs 6.5 (3.3); p < 0.001) and communication (8.7 (1.7) vs 6.4 (2.8); p < 0.001). Anxiety was lower in the experimental group according to the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (42.9 (12.7) vs 45.7 (12.4); p = 0.02). 99.5% (207/208) of patients in the experimental group felt the video helped them understand the intervention.

Conclusions: Preprocedural consultations by interventional radiologists improve patients’ understanding of the procedure, increase their satisfaction with information and communication, and reduce anxiety during the procedure.