Evaluation of Institutional Emergency Code Protocol Awareness Among Radiology Healthcare Workers in Teaching Hospitals of India

Background Hospital emergency code systems are essential for rapid and coordinated responses to life-threatening situations. Radiology departments increasingly encounter medical emergencies due to advanced procedures, yet awareness of emergency code protocols among radiology health-care workers remains uncertain. Objective The objective was to evaluate institutional emergency code protocol awareness, knowledge of response procedures, and training exposure among radiology health-care workers in teaching hospitals across India. Methods A multicentric descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 340 radiology professionals, including radiologists, radiologic technologists, and radiology nurses, from teaching hospitals across different regions of India. Data were collected using a structured, prevalidated questionnaire. Emergency code awareness was assessed using a five-point scoring system and categorized as poor (0-2), moderate (3), and good (4-5). Statistical analysis was performed using descriptive statistics, chi-squared test, and one-way analysis of variance. Results The overall mean awareness score was 3.16 ± 0.94, indicating moderate awareness. Code Blue was identified by 85.3% participants, while awareness of other codes was lower. Training significantly influenced awareness (χ 2 = 36.82, p < .001). Radiologists showed higher scores (3.92 ± 0.88) compared to nurses (3.61 ± 0.95) and technologists (3.12 ± 1.15) (p < .001). Participants with Basic Life Support/Advanced Cardiac Life Support training demonstrated better knowledge and confidence. Conclusions Radiology health-care workers demonstrate moderate awareness with gaps in emergency response knowledge. Regular training, simulation-based learning, and strengthened institutional protocols are necessary to improve preparedness and patient safety.