Technologist

PURPOSE: Because of the automation of radiation therapy, competencies of radiation technologists (RTTs) change, and training methods are challenged. This study aims to develop, and pilot test an innovative training method based on lean management principles. METHODS AND MATERIALS: A new training method was developed for lung cancer treatment planning (TP). The novelty is summarized by including a stable environment and an increased focus on the how and why of key decision making...

This study assessed the significance of hands-on-training (HoT) and questionnaire-based surveys on 3D image-guided brachytherapy (3D-IGBT) and a combination of intracavitary and interstitial brachytherapy, the so-called 'hybrid' BT (HBT), in uterine cervical cancer. In October 2023, 29 radiation oncologists, nurses, radiologic technologists and medical physicists from 10 Japanese facilities participated in an HoT on 3D-IGBT and HBT. Questionnaires were distributed to each participant before and after the HoT, and feedback was obtained through online channels...

Nocardia species, which are ubiquitous in the environment, form lesions primarily in immunocompromised patients via oral or cutaneous infection. Some of these Nocardia species, such as N. farcinica , also infect the central nervous system via hematogenous dissemination, which rarely results in brain abscesses. Notably, N. farcinica is resistant to numerous antimicrobial drugs used in empirical therapy, necessitating the intervention of an infectious disease specialist. To date, no case of antimicrobial stewardship teams (ASTs) playing a central role in community hospitals without an infectious disease specialist has been reported...

PURPOSE: To assess the patient gonadal shielding practices of radiologic technologists in the state of California. METHODS: A survey invitation was sent via email to registered radiologic technologists in California to collect data to determine whether there were significant associations between gonadal shielding practices and various categorical variables, including patient sex, patient age, body part, availability of gonadal shielding protocols, availability of gonadal shields, and supervisor encouragement...

This paper examines opportunities and challenges of integrating augmented reality (AR) into education and investigates requirements to enable instructors to author AR educational experiences. Although AR technology is recognised for its potential in educational enhancement, it poses challenges for instructors creating AR-based experiences due to their limited digital skills and the complexity of 3D authoring tools. Semi-structured interviews with 17 aviation instructors identified current pedagogical approaches, gaps, and potential applications of AR in aviation weather education...

Neurosurgeons of the future must possess the ability to engage in preoperative simulation. However, given the changing medical practices and redistribution of tasks among physicians, the significance of radiological technologists is increasing. In this article, we describe the collaboration between radiological technologists and the hospital system to simplify preoperative simulation for young physicians. Preparation for preoperative simulation is a collaborative process with radiological technologists, aiming to facilitate mutual learning and risk management...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The slow adoption of new advanced imaging techniques into clinical practice has been a long-standing challenge. Principles of implementation science and the reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, maintenance (RE-AIM) framework were used to build a clinical vessel wall imaging program at an academic medical center. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Six phases for implementing a clinical vessel wall MR imaging program were contextualized to the RE-AIM framework...

OBJECTIVE: Digital pathology (DP) is moving into Danish pathology departments at high pace. Conventionally, biomedical laboratory scientists (BLS) and technicians have prepared tissue sections for light microscopy, but workflow alterations are required for the new digital era with whole slide imaging (WSI); digitally assisted image analysis (DAIA) and artificial intelligence (AI). We aim to explore the role of BLS in DP and assess a potential need for professional development. METHODS: We investigated the roles of BLS in the new digital era through qualitative interviews at Danish Pathology Departments in 2019/2020 before DP implementation (supported by a questionnaire); and in 2022 after DP implementation...

Phototherapy clinics administer UV light to patients via phototherapy cabinets. The UV radiation from these cabinets reflects on the white ceiling tiles of the clinic and is directed towards both staff and patients in the area. This is particularly problematic for clinical technologists who must undertake dosimetry in these areas and have a particular time (often as low as 30 minutes) before they reach their maximum exposure limit. By replacing the white tiles with black alternatives which absorb the stray radiation, we have been able to reduce these reflections by almost 90%, prolonging the time to maximum exposure by nearly 10 times...

During the past four decades, ultrasound has become popular as an imaging modality applied to the musculoskeletal (MSK) system, particularly outside the USA, due to its low cost, accessibility, and lack of ionizing radiation. A basic requirement in performing these examinations is to have a core group of radiologists and ultrasound technologists with expertise in MSK ultrasound. The extent to which ultrasound will be part of the imaging offered by a particular radiology practice or in an academic institution will vary according to expertise, availability, and reimbursements...

BACKGROUNDS: Neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) such as Alzheimer's (AD) and Parkinson's (PD) are often diagnosed late, impeding effective treatment; therefore, early detection is imperative. Modern methodologies can serve a pivotal role in fulfilling the crucial need for timely detection and intervention in this context. OBJECTIVES: Evaluate early detection's significance and summarize key technologies (biomarkers, neuroimaging, AI/ML, genetics, digital health) for enhanced diagnostic strategies in AD and PD...

PURPOSE: It is very difficult for a radiologist to correctly detect small lesions and lesions hidden on dense breast tissue on a mammogram. Therefore, recently, computer-aided detection (CAD) systems have been widely used to assist radiologists in interpreting images. Thus, in this study, we aimed to segment mass on the mammogram with high accuracy by using focus images obtained from a eye-tracking device. METHODS: We obtained focus images for two mammography expert radiologists and 19 mammography technologists on 8 abnormal and 8a normal mammograms published by the DDSM...

PURPOSE: To analyze a radiography program's use of the Health Education Systems Incorporated Admission Assessment (HESI A2) and the HESI Exit Exam for preparing graduates to take the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) certification and registration exam for radiography. METHODS: The program collected exam scores from the HESI Exit Exam for radiography and the ARRT radiography certification and registration exam for a 10-year period. The study included scores of 171 students who graduated from the radiography education program...

PURPOSE: To identify technologist-controlled factors to decrease dose and improve image quality and evaluate their use during computed tomography (CT) kidney stone examinations. METHODS: Online scholarly databases were searched to acquire peer-reviewed, published articles involving methods of optimizing radiation dose during CT. These articles were reviewed, and the technologist-controlled factors identified were protocol selection, patient centering in the bore, and scan length...

The potential intelligence behind advanced machining systems (AMSs) offers positive contributions toward process improvement. Imitation learning (IL) offers an appealing approach to accessing this intelligence by observing demonstrations from skilled technologists. However, existing IL algorithms that implement single policy strategies have yet to consider realistic scenarios for complex AMS tasks, where the available demonstrations may have come from various experts. Moreover, most IL assumes that the expert's policy is optimal, preventing the learning from fulfilling the previously ignored green missions...

BACKGROUND: The Laboratory Incident Notification Canada (LINC) surveillance system was launched in 2015 to monitor the mandated national reporting of laboratory incidents. This report describes the laboratory exposures reported in 2022. METHODS: Exposure incidents were analyzed by activity, occurrence, sector, root cause and pathogens/toxins implicated, while affected individuals were analyzed by education, exposure route, role and years of laboratory experience...

CT protocol management is an arduous task that requires expertise from a variety of radiology professionals, including technologists, radiologists, radiology IT professionals, and medical physicists. Each CT vendor has unique, proprietary protocol file structures, some of which may vary by scanner model, making it difficult to develop a universal framework for distilling technical parameters to a human-readable file format. An ideal solution for CT protocol management is to minimize the work required for parameter extraction by introducing a data format into the workflow that is universal to all CT scanners...

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the current workflow of blood gas ordering and testing in a cardiothoracic operating room to identify opportunities to streamline the process, using performance improvement methodologies. METHODS: Issues with specimen relabeling were identified that lead to delayed results and potential patient safety concerns. Blood gas specimen relabeling was evaluated for operating room cases from August 2018 to December 2022. An OpTime Epic Sidebar button for arterial blood gas and venous blood gas orders was created in January 2019 to streamline the ordering process so that laboratory barcode labels were then printed in the operating room and attached to the specimen, eliminating the need for relabeling by the technologists...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Radiotherapy (RT) is an essential treatment modality against cancer and becoming even more in demand due to the anticipated increase in cancer incidence. Due to the rapid development of RT technologies amid financial challenges, we aimed to assess the available RT facilities and the issues with achieving health equity based on current equipment compared to the previous reports from Iran. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A survey arranged by the Iran Cancer Institute's Radiation Oncology Research Center (RORC) was sent to all of the country's radiotherapy centers in 2022...

INTRODUCTION: The complex practice environment and responsibilities incumbent on diagnostic radiologists creates a workflow susceptible to disruption. While interruptions have been shown to contribute to medical errors in the healthcare delivery environment, the exact impact on highly subspecialized services such as diagnostic radiology is less certain. One potential source of workflow disruption is the use of a departmental instant messaging system (Webex), to facilitate communications between radiology faculty, residents, fellows, and technologists...