Now showing 1 - 7 of 7
  • Publication
    Palestinian Conference on Medical Radiation Sciences 2022 Selected Abstracts
    The Palestinian Association of Medical Radiation Technologists (PAMRT) became a member of the European Federation of Radiographer Societies (EFRS) in February 2021. Through this relationship, the EFRS has been supportive of the activities undertaken by PAMRT to raise the profile of the profession in Palestine; to enhance the education and training of professionals; to open international collaborative opportunities for PAMRT and their members; and, to promote research opportunities within the profession in Palestine. It is regarding these final two points that the EFRS, together with the Society and College of Radiographers (SCoR) as the owners of the journal, and the Radiography journal leadership, were happy to collaborate with PAMRT for the Palestinian Conference on Medical Radiation Sciences (PCMRS) 2022.
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  • Publication
    The impact of COVID-19 upon student radiographers and clinical training
    Introduction: To investigate student clinical placement concerns and opinions, during the initial COVID-19 pandemic outbreak and to inform educational institution support planning. Methods: Between mid-June to mid-July 2020, educational institutions from 12 countries were invited to participate in an online survey designed to gain student radiographer opinion from a wide geographical spread and countries with varying levels of COVID-19 cases. Results: 1277 respondents participated, of these 592 had completed clinical placements during January to June 2020. Accommodation and cohabiting risks were identified as challenging, as was isolation from family, travel to clinical placements, and to a lesser extent childcare. Students stated they had been affected by the feeling of isolation and concerns about the virus whilst on placement. Overall 35.4% of all respondents were ‘Not at all worried’ about being a radiographer, however, 64.6% expressed varying levels of concern and individual domestic or health situations significantly impacted responses (p ≤ 0.05). Year 4 students and recent graduates were significantly more likely to be ‘Not worried at all’ compared to Year 2 and 3 students (p ≤ 0.05). The need for improved communication regarding clinical placements scheduling was identified as almost 50% of students on clinical placements between January to June 2020 identified the completion of assessments as challenging. Furthermore, only 66% of respondents with COVID-19 imaging experience stated being confident with personal protective equipment (PPE) use. Conclusion: Student radiographers identified key challenges which require consideration to ensure appropriate measures are in place to support their ongoing needs. Importantly PPE training is required before placement regardless of prior COVID-19 imaging experience. Implications for practice: As the next academic year commences, the study findings identify important matters to be considered by education institutions with responsibility for Radiography training and as students commence clinical placements during the on-going global COVID-19 pandemic.
    Scopus© Citations 39  166
  • Publication
    Factors influencing the choice of radiology as a medical specialty in Ireland
    Purpose: To gain further insight into Irish medical students' and interns' specialty preferences and explore the various factors that influence choice of specialty with a focus on radiology. Methods: An online cross-sectional survey was conducted of medical students and interns enrolled at a single Irish institution. Survey topics included specialty preferences, associated influential factors, exposure to radiology to date, and respondents' interest in and understanding of radiology. Results: Cardiology, emergency medicine, and paediatrics had the highest overall interest levels, with 27.0% (n = 133/492) of all participants declaring an interest in radiology. The most frequently selected reason for considering radiology as a specialty was the varied nature of the field. Men reported considering a career in radiology more often than women (x2 (1, n = 433) = 9.464, p = 0.002) and non-European respondents considered radiology less often than their Irish and European peers (x2 (1, n = 436) = 7.510, p = 0.006). While there was no significant association between exposure to radiology and interest in the specialty, participants with previous exposure to radiology were found to be more knowledgeable about the roles and responsibilities of a radiologist. Conclusion: The outcomes of this study support previous research which concludes that medical students' choice of specialty is multifactorial. A strategic approach needs to be taken towards undergraduate radiology education which accounts for class composition, emphasises the diversity and impact of the field, and provides clinical exposure to the subject matter, as a tailored means of steering more students and interns towards the underserved discipline.
    Scopus© Citations 2  153
  • Publication
    Paediatric imaging radiation dose awareness and use of referral guidelines amongst radiology practitioners and radiographers
    Objectives: The objectives are to investigate radiology practitioners' and radiographers' radiation dose awareness and use of referral guidelines for paediatric imaging examinations. Methods: A prospective cross-sectional survey was conducted amongst radiology practitioners and radiographers working at a primary paediatric referral centre in Malta. Part of the survey asked participants to indicate the typical effective dose (ED) for several commonly performed paediatric imaging examinations, answer five true-false statements about radiation protection principles, and specify their use of referral guidelines for paediatric imaging. Results: The return of 112 questionnaires provided a response rate of 66.7 %. Overall, imaging practitioners demonstrated poor awareness of radiation doses associated with several paediatric imaging examinations, with only 20 % providing the correct ED estimate for radiation-based examinations. Nearly all participants had undertaken radiation protection training, but the type and duration of training undertaken varied. When asked about the use of referral guidelines for paediatric imaging, 77.3 % claimed that they 'did not' or 'were not sure' if they made use of them. Conclusions: Poor awareness of radiation doses associated with paediatric imaging examinations and the non-use of referral guidelines may impede imaging practitioners' role in the justification and optimisation of paediatric imaging examinations. Education and training activities to address such shortcomings are recommended.
    Scopus© Citations 23  282
  • Publication
    Achievements in 2022 and plans for 2023
    (Elsevier, 2023-01-04)
    Volume 29, Issue 1, the start of the New Year, and another packed issue of Radiography with a broad range of articles to open 2023, however, let us first look back on 2022, a period of continued growth for the journal, with a number of developments and achievements to report, and my first year as Editor in Chief.
    Scopus© Citations 1  6
  • Publication
    Patient safety: At the centre of all we do
    The December 2016 special issue of Radiography (Volume 22, Supplement 1) revolved around the important topic of patient safety. In their editorial, Nightingale and Snaith open by describing patient safety as "a topic clearly of immense importance to our profession and to the public we serve". This view is not likely to change, and patient-safety related topics will remain a constant in terms of the papers published in Radiography and indeed in all journals linked to the fields of medical imaging / radiology and radiation oncology. There are many ways to define patient safety. The top two definitions, ranked by leading institutions across Europe, involved in radiography education, were: "Reducing the incidence of unnecessary disease, injuries, adverse events and deaths caused topatients through the delivery of therapeutic or diagnostic procedures." and "A safe healthcare environment based on having access to the best technology available, the best trained professionals, the best designed healthcare processes and facilities."
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  • Publication
    Strategic research agenda for biomedical imaging
    This Strategic Research Agenda identifies current challenges and needs in healthcare, illustrates how biomedical imaging and derived data can help to address these, and aims to stimulate dedicated research funding efforts. Medicine is currently moving towards a more tailored, patient-centric approach by providing personalised solutions for the individual patient. Innovation in biomedical imaging plays a key role in this process as it addresses the current needs for individualised prevention, treatment, therapy response monitoring, and image-guided surgery. The use of non-invasive biomarkers facilitates better therapy prediction and monitoring, leading to improved patient outcomes. Innovative diagnostic imaging technologies provide information about disease characteristics which, coupled with biological, genetic and -omics data, will contribute to an individualised diagnosis and therapy approach. In the emerging field of theranostics, imaging tools together with therapeutic agents enable the selection of best treatments and allow tailored therapeutic interventions. For prenatal monitoring, the use of innovative imaging technologies can ensure an early detection of malfunctions or disease. The application of biomedical imaging for diagnosis and management of lifestyle-induced diseases will help to avoid disease development through lifestyle changes. Artificial intelligence and machine learning in imaging will facilitate the improvement of image interpretation and lead to better disease prediction and therapy planning. As biomedical imaging technologies and analysis of existing imaging data provide solutions to current challenges and needs in healthcare, appropriate funding for dedicated research is needed to implement the innovative approaches for the wellbeing of citizens and patients.
    Scopus© Citations 5  133