Radiography最新文献

Introduction: Student experience impacts outcomes in Higher Education (HE) and has become a focus of interest in ethnicity awarding gap research. The awarding gap is attributed to a range of factors, many of which occur as a result of institutionalised racism. Limited data is available on the experiences of ethnically diverse allied health professionals' students and none in therapeutic radiography (TR).

Methods: An online survey featuring quantitative and open-ended questions was sent to fourteen universities as phase 1 of a sequential explanatory mixed methods study. The survey was developed from student collaboration and the evidence base, exploring the experiences of university and clinical placement in radiotherapy undergraduate programmes. Themes of "university and clinical placement learning," "drivers of success and pressure" "racism and microaggressions" and "perceptions of the profession" were examined.

Results: Forty-three responses were received from students recruited via purposive sampling and self-identifying as belonging to an ethnically diverse background. Positive experiences of university and clinical placements were seen but a lower sense of belonging was reported within clinical placement. Sources of support were identified in lecturers, peers, and family. In contrast, family was also identified as a source of pressure. Incidents of racism and microaggressions were reported in clinical and university learning environments, but more frequently seen in the placement setting, and attributed to come from both radiographers and patients.

Conclusion: This study indicates that whilst there were frequent positive aspects of university and clinical placement, racialised incidents occurred, impacting the student experience. Clinical placement providers should focus on enhancing belonging, with academic staff supporting radiographers in inclusive teaching practices.

Implications for practice: All involved in radiography education must act as allies in calling out incivility, racism, and microaggressions, to support and enhance student experience.

Introduction: The radiology department plays an important role in healthcare settings, facilitating diagnoses using different imaging modalities, including ultrasound. However, this high-tech environment can pose various risks to patients. In this study, we aimed to describe the risk of patient safety incidents, and factors associated with the prevention of risks related to ultrasound examinations and the diagnostic work, from the perspective of Swedish radiographers.

Methods: We conducted a qualitative study, based on the written answers to three open-ended questions addressed to Swedish radiographers in ultrasound units of radiology departments, between March 2022 and May 2023. Data from the responses were analyzed using content analysis.

Results: A total of 22 radiographers participated in this study. The described risks were categorized into two groups: risk of tissue damage; and risk of missed, delayed, or incorrect diagnoses. Participants stated that patient safety relied on good organizational conditions-such as having enough time for ultrasound examinations and the diagnostic work, together with adequate technical equipment and new ultrasound devices not older than 5 years. As risk-prevention factors, the radiographers recommended ensuring adequate individual competence-for example, through recurrent mandatory education in ultrasound physics and safety performed by the hospital physicist, and by implementing a certificate with an identified level of expertise at every level of the ultrasound examination.

Conclusions: Within ultrasound units in Sweden, collaborative individual, organizational, and technical factors are important for reducing the risks of tissue damage and of missed, delayed, or incorrect diagnoses.

Implications for practice: In ultrasound diagnostics, risk-preventing factors include the use of adequate technical equipment and ultrasound devices not older than 5 years, sufficient time for ultrasound examinations and diagnostic work, thoroughly education in all ultrasound methods and recurrent mandatory education in ultrasound physics performed by hospital physicists.

Introduction: American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) Task Group (TG) 238 provides guidance on quality control procedures to ensuring optimal three-dimensional rotational angiography (3DRA) image quality. The uniformity test outlined in this guideline utilizes a sampling method, which provide limited information on image uniformity and has been found to be a sub-optimum predictor of image quality issues. Despite this limitation, numerous automated quality control software solutions for uniformity testing have been developed using the available method. Therefore, this study was aimed to propose new methods as well as to develop an in-house software to generate more comprehensive uniformity testing of 3DRA images.

Methods: The uniformity evaluation techniques are adopted from both AAPM TG-238 guidelines and the European Reference Organisation for Quality Assured Breast Screening and Diagnostic Services (EUREF) guidelines. The parameters assessed included mean pixel value (MPV) and signal to noise ratio (SNR) following EUREF recommendations with limiting values adapted from AAPM TG-238. An in-house software was constructed to visually display non-uniformities and numerically by providing information on ROIs detected by each metric.

Results: With the introduction of new evaluation methods, the previously established limiting values could not be employed as a reference for determining image uniformity. Therefore, the selection of the optimal uniformity testing method will be based on its sensitivity in detecting and visually displaying non-uniformities.

Conclusion: The new evaluation techniques provide a more comprehensive assessment of 3DRA image uniformity. However, further investigation is reserved to refine the limitation values used in determining the pass/fail criteria for the uniformity test.

Implications for practice: This in-house software enables visualization of uniformity within an image, aiding in the selection of the appropriate imaging mode based on clinical requirements.

Introduction: In Denmark, there are no official guidelines on how to inform women about the risk of recall during mammography screening, leading to varied local practices. This study explored the experiences of radiographers at a Danish mammography screening unit and breast cancer assessment clinic communicating the risk of recall and false-positive results.

Methods: This study involved 12 weeks of ethnographic fieldwork over the course of one year, along with eleven semi-structured interviews with radiographers.

Results: Radiographers worked at the screening unit and the breast cancer assessment clinic. This provided them an opportunity to learn from their colleagues, improve communication skills, and the ability to recognise and respond to emotional reactions. The radiographers were aware that recalls might cause psychosocial consequences and had thus established a local practice sensitive to this. The radiographers informed women at their first screening about the risk of recall and false positives, aiming to mitigate these consequences.

Conclusion: These findings highlight the advantages of radiographers working in both screening and clinical settings.

Implications for practice: Insights from this study may inspire future guidelines or local screening practices and improve patient care. Furthermore, results may inform department managers' workload organisation.

Introduction: Women with obesity are less likely to participate in mammographic screening and more likely to develop post-menopausal breast cancer. We describe the co-production of a novel training intervention for breast screening staff, targeting obesity-related barriers to participating in a population-based mammographic screening.

Methods: A Stakeholder Consultant Group (SCG) was established to guide the co-production process. A narrative review of the literature was conducted, as well as first person interviews of women with lived experience of obesity, to identify/inform themes for service delivery staff training.

Results: Three themes from the narrative review emerged: (i) enhanced staff-client communication, (ii) promoting compassionate connections during client interactions (iii) tailored mammography positioning for women with obesity. Iterative co-design and consultation with the SCG resulted in six key sessions delivered within an in-service training day: determinants of obesity, weight stigma and healthcare, screening challenges for women living with obesity, empathy 'mapping', front-line training for reception staff, and screening challenges for radiographers when screening women with obesity. Subsequent practical workshops for radiographers provided hands-on positioning training using a real-life model and a 'mammo vest'. Feedback showed that 74 % of staff rated the training as "very good" or "excellent".

Conclusion: Training to improve staff interactions with women with obesity appears to be acceptable.

Implications for practice: The intervention has been successfully implemented in a population-based breast screening program to improve the mammography experience for both clients and staff. Improving the mammogram experience will improve the likelihood of clients returning to screening when next due. Given the prevalence of obesity and body image issues, targeted interventions that optimize client interactions could significantly reduce breast cancer mortality through early detection.