Radiography最新文献

Introduction

Healthcare information resources are extremely limited currently in Irish Sign Language and studies of the preferred methods of gaining information in the Deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) community are scarce. This study aims to explore the opinions of DHH people on an information portal designed for a radiology department, taking account of their preferred methods of gaining information and past experiences of participants that may be addressed by a portal of this kind. These opinions inform the overall objective of creating a template for further improvements to the portal.

Methods

An information portal containing what to expect before, during and after a chest x-ray examination was created. Ethical approval was granted to interview 11 DHH adults via zoom and in person to explore their opinions of an information portal's value prior to chest x-ray examinations. The preferred media type for obtaining information prior to x-ray examinations was also explored. Interview methods reflected the heterogeneity of DHH people's communication methods. Transcripts of the study were analysed using qualitative thematic analysis.

Results

The resultant themes from the study were; positives of the information portal as it stands, feelings, pitfalls of the information portal, accessibility considerations, d/Deaf awareness, previous issues that may be helped by the information portal, improvement suggestions and further developments. The majority of participants preferred the subtitled video over other media types. Participants felt they would have been better prepared for their x-ray if they had used the information portal prior, and it would have increased their ability to give informed consent. Participants highlighted experiences of audism in radiology departments and cited the need for healthcare worker's deaf awareness to be improved. Improvements to the information portal were provided by participants.

Conclusion

The idea of this information portal was supported by the participants. Increased deaf awareness particularly in healthcare workers will improve this resource and improve patient experiences in radiology.

Implications for practice: A national policy is needed to implement accessible information in radiology departments to improve the provision of medical autonomy. This policy should be supported by ISL interpreters.

Introduction

Cancer is a leading cause of premature death worldwide. Especially cancers like soft tissue sarcomas of extremities (STSE) pose a challenge in oncologic management. Thus, the assessment of prognosis in patients with such cancers is important to select proper management strategies. Radiomics is a promising approach that has shown a wide range of potential applications including predicting prognosis. This study focused on finding out whether the morphometry-based radiomics features could be used to predict the prognosis of patients with STSE following radiotherapy.

Methods

The deidentified images, contours and clinical data from The Cancer Imaging Archive (TCIA) were used to evaluate thirty patients with histologically proven STSE following radiotherapy. Twenty-nine three dimensional (3D) morphometric features were extracted for each patient and the two-sample t-test (one-tailed) with the 95% confidence level was used to determine whether there was a significant difference between the patients who developed recurrence or metastasis (RM) and patients who were recurrence or metastasis-free (RMF) following radiotherapy for each morphometric feature.

Results

According to the findings, only surface-to-volume ratio demonstrated a significant difference (p-value of 0.029) between the RM and RMF after receiving radiotherapy for STSE.

Conclusion

Only surface-to-volume ratio could be utilized as a predictor for assessing the prognosis of patients with STSE following radiotherapy.

Implications for practice

The ability to predict the response after radiotherapy can facilitate the decision-making process, which will ultimately improve patient outcomes, especially considering the challenges in the management of STSE. This study provides insight that the integration of morphometry-based radiomics features into radiotherapy practice could be useful to evaluate the prognosis of patients who received radiotherapy for STSE.

Introduction

Virtual reality (VR) simulation is a technology that empowers students and radiographers to practice radiography in a virtual environment that resembles real-life clinical scenarios. The purpose of this randomised study was to examine the relationship between clinical specialty and the ability to assess and obtain a lateral wrist radiograph using a VR simulator.

Methods

Radiographers and radiography students were recruited from the EFRS Research Hub at the 2024 European Congress of Radiology. After completing a background questionnaire, participants entered a VR simulator where they assessed lateral wrist radiographs and, if necessary, attempted a retake. Fisher's exact test was used to evaluate the relationship between specialties and participants' ability to assess positioning and perform retakes. Rank-biserial correlation estimated the relationship between participants' ability to reposition the VR patient and their VR experience and self-perceived confidence in wrist radiograph positioning.

Results

The cohort included 173 participants from 14 specialties across 21 countries. There was a borderline significant trend between clinical specialty and correct positioning assessment (p = 0.052) and between self-perceived confidence in acquiring wrist radiographs and repositioning for a retake (p = 0.052). Neither clinical specialty (p = 0.480) nor previous VR experience (p = 0.409) correlated with ability to reposition for a retake.

Conclusion

While results indicated a potential correlation between participants' ability to position a VR patient and both clinical specialty and confidence in wrist radiography, these trends were not statistically significant. Nevertheless, the findings suggest that VR holds promise for radiography training, though further research is necessary to explore the factors that influence performance and learning.

Implications for practice

The incorporation of VR technology into standard radiography training programs could potentially improve patient outcomes by ensuring that radiography students are more skilled at acquiring quality radiographs prior to their first clinical practice. It should be noted though, that knowledge on positioning criteria and anatomy is an advantage when practicing correct positioning in a VR simulator.

Objectives

In the United Kingdom, radiographers with a qualification in image interpretation have interpreted mammograms since 1995. These radiographers work under the title of radiography advanced practitioners (RAP) or Consultant Radiographer. This study extends upon what has been very recently published by exploring further clinical, non-clinical and experiential factors that may impact the reporting performance of RAPs.

Methods

Fifteen RAPs interpreted an image test set of 60 2D mammograms of known truth using the Detected-X software platform. Unknown to the reader, twenty cases contained a malignancy. Sensitivity, specificity, lesion sensitivity, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and jack-knife free response operating characteristic (AFROC) values were established for each RAP. Specific features that had significant impact on accuracy were identified using Student's-T and Mann Whitney tests.

Results

RAPs with more than 10 years' experience in image interpretation, compared to those with less than 10 years’ experience, demonstrated lower specificity (51.3% vs 84.8%, p = 0.0264), ROC (0.83 vs 0.91, p = 0.0264) and AFROC (0.75 vs 0.87, p = 0.0037) values. Further, higher sensitivity values of 90.7% were seen in those RAPs who had an eye test in the last year compared to those who had not, 82% (p = 0.021). Other changes are presented in the paper.

Conclusion

These data reveal previously unidentified factors that impact the diagnostic efficacy of RAPs when interpreting mammographic images. Highlighting such findings will empower screening authorities to better examine ways of standardising performance and offer a baseline for performance benchmarks.

Implications for practice

This study for the first time performs an initial exploration of the factors that may be associated with RAP performance when interpreting screening mammograms.

Introduction

The UK Health and Care Professions Council revised the Standards of Proficiency for diagnostic radiographers in 2023 to reflect modern practices and service needs. This will impact on the training and assessment of learners throughout their programmes in order to support them to meet the threshold standards.

Methods

A Delphi survey was distributed to UK diagnostic radiographers to ascertain the stage of training in which they expect each standard of proficiency to be demonstrated by the learner.

Results

Ninety-four diagnostic radiographers responded to the survey and 58.5% (n = 55) completed the second round of the survey. Participants agreed on the stage of pre-registration training that 74.9% of standards should be met. However, for 19.6% of standards there was no consensus. In 5.5% of standards participants expected these to be met one year post qualification.

Conclusion

Agreement of when three quarters of the new Standards would be expected to be met during pre-registration training could support practice placement learning and assessment. However, there is some uncertainty around the Standards and the ability to provide appropriate resources, support, and expertise to enable learners to meet them.

Implications for practice

The consensus of expectations could inform stage appropriate learning opportunities aligned to the 2023 HCPC Standards within practice placements, and a standardised assessment, should the appetite be established. However, the UK diagnostic radiography profession still has some work to do in aligning expectations with the statutory regulatory body requirements and preparing all staff to support learners to meet all threshold standards at point of qualification.