An investigation of Saudi Arabian MR radiographers' knowledge and confidence in relation to MR image-quality-related errors

Impact of Education and Experience on Radiographers' Ability to Diagnose Acute Appendicitis: A Survey in Private Malaysian Hospitals

Background

Acute appendicitis is a global surgical emergency. Radiographic modalities usually identify acute appendicitis, although radiographers' competence is questionable. This study examines how clinical radiographers' education and experience affect their ability to identify acute appendicitis using computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasonography (USG) characteristics. The study also aimed to determine which variable strongly influences their knowledge level.

Methods

The study surveyed radiographers with a four-part self-administered questionnaire containing demographic information and eight knowledge-based questions about the appearance of acute appendicitis in MRI, CT and USG, separately. Before distribution, the questionnaire was validated and checked the reliability.

Results

Clinical radiographers' knowledge about using MRI to diagnose acute appendicitis was strongly affected by education and experience (η2 = 0.13 and 0.14; P < 0.05), with bachelor's degree holders scoring higher regardless of experience. Radiographers with more than 5 years of experience knew more about CT and USG features to identify acute appendicitis (η2 = 0.40 and 0.27; P < 0.05). Radiographers with a bachelor's degree and greater experience had higher overall knowledge of MRI, CT and USG to diagnose acute appendicitis (η2 = 0.51 and 0.11; P < 0.05). With adjusted R2 = 54% (F [2, 44] = 27.94; P < 0.001), education and experience highly predicted the overall knowledge level.

Conclusion

The study found gaps in radiographers' knowledge of the radiographic appearance of acute appendicitis. Clinical radiographers' education level and years of experience substantially affect their knowledge level. In addition, experience is a good predictor than education level for overall knowledge level. Therefore, the study emphasises the importance of continuing education and training for radiographers to diagnose acute appendicitis quickly and accurately.

Graduate radiographers' experience of learning MRI practice: A pilot study using constructivist grounded theory methodology

INTRODUCTION

Traditionally radiographers, specialising in MRI practice, would have first worked in a general imaging department, however due to the shortage of MRI radiographers within the UK, opportunities have now arisen for graduate radiographers to enter MRI practice directly. There are no requirements to undertake formal MRI qualifications or competency frameworks for UK MRI practitioners. Consequently, training is often conducted in house by other MRI practitioners and is not regulated or audited. The aim of this pilot study was to explore graduate radiographers' experiences of learning MRI practice.

METHODS

A constructivist grounded theory methodology was implemented.  Purposeful sampling was employed, and participants were recruited via social media. Participants (n3) had all entered MRI practice directly from graduation within the last 5 years and were currently working in the UK. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews, undertaken virtually and audio recorded. Analysis of the data was conducted using the constructivist grounded theory process, as set out by Charmaz and NVivo software was used to manage the data.

RESULTS

Five core categories emerged from the data, 1) aspirations to enter MRI practice, 2) engaging in the learning process, 3) influences of the learning environment, 4) confidence in competence, 5) identification of the need for further learning. These core categories describe the stages of the participants' experience of learning MRI practice.

CONCLUSION

The results of this pilot study demonstrate the pathway taken by graduate MRI radiographers through their MRI educational experience. Undergraduate placements, within MRI, influenced their choice to enter MRI practice, however it did not sufficiently prepare them and further education was necessary. All the participants were provided with a structure to their learning and assessment of competence was required, although the complexity of which varied between participants. Despite feeling competent to undertake MRI imaging examinations all participants sought out opportunities to engage with more formalised MRI radiographer education. Consequently, there may be a need for a standardised national training programme for MRI radiographers to ensure consistency of training and assessment. Further research with a larger participant size is required to consolidate these findings.

The Motivational Factors of Choosing Diagnostic Radiology as a Profession Among Saudi Radiography Students

PURPOSE

To identify factors influencing Saudi students to choose radiography as their academic major and future career field.

MATERIAL AND METHOD

This study involved quantitative (online questionnaire) and qualitative (semi-structured interview) approaches. An online questionnaire was distributed among (n = 308) students. The questionnaire contained 30 questions covering the following three domains: economy, vocational and personal. A total of 25 individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with purposive sampling of radiography students in seven universities (public and private) across the western region of Saudi Arabia. Interview responses were coded, and main themes were extracted based on Miles and Huberman's framework.

RESULTS

The findings demonstrated that radiography was the first option as profession for 44% of the study participants. Several factors that study participants considered important were in the realm of patient care, helping patients, radiographer-patient relations, science-based profession, and the desire to work in the healthcare system. A few participants (14%) reported that they are planning to change their profession to another medical speciality. Four themes were identified from the interviews: 1) Profession decision-making, 2) changing career", 3) difficulties and challenges, and 4) recommended radiography as a profession.

CONCLUSION

The results of the study support the need to bridge the gap between high school, universities, and employment through a collaborative network to assist students in exploring their career path by providing sufficient information and experience.

Validation of the educational effectiveness of a mobile learning app to improve knowledge about MR image quality optimisation and artefact reduction

Aim

The aim was to design an app-based eLearning tool to provide radiographers with information about the physical basis of MR artefacts and practical elimination or/and minimisation strategies to optimise image quality, and to evaluate the impact of a smartphone app on radiographers’ knowledge.

Methods

The study used the comparison-experimental approach (pre- and post-test). Thirty-five MR radiographers independently reviewed a prepared series of MR images (n = 25). The participants were requested to identify image quality related errors, to specify error-correction strategies and to score how confident they were in their responses. Participants were then divided into experimental (n = 19) and control cohorts (n = 16). The app was provided to the experimental cohort for 3 months; after this period both cohorts re-reviewed the MR image datasets and repeated their identification of image quality errors.

Results

The results showed a statistically significant difference between control and experimental cohorts relative to participants’ pre- to post-test knowledge level. For the experimental cohort, years of experience, qualification and type of hospital were not associated with radiographer knowledge level and confidence in recognising the presence of an image quality error, naming the error and specifying appropriate correction strategies (p > 0.05).

Conclusion

The study identified the potential of the smartphone app as an effective educational tool to support MR radiographers’ knowledge in recognising and characterising MR image quality errors.

Key Points

• A high level of knowledge to optimise MR image quality is crucial.

• Ongoing education in image quality optimisation is required.

• The potential role of app as an effective educational tool is identified.

Pattern of Thyroid Lesions in Western Region of Saudi Arabia: A Retrospective Analysis and Literature Review

Background

Ultrasonography (US) is being recognized as a traditional way of the diagnosis of various thyroid disorders, and this will help in detecting the thyroid tumors in early stage. Thyroid nodules are common and usually benign; steps to diagnose malignancy should include a careful clinical evaluation, laboratory tests, a thyroid US exam and a fine-needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy.

Methods

A total of 173 registered cases were used for analysis in this study. Diagnosis was made following US-guided FNA cytology (FNAC) and histopathological diagnosis; clinicopathological and demographic data of all such patients were obtained and analyzed for the present study. For statistical analysis, Statistical Package of Social Sciences v.22 (SPSS) was used.

Results

In the current study, 87.3% of patients were female, and 12.7% were male. The mean age of the patients was 43.35 years, 86.4% were Saudi nationals and there was no significant difference between age groups. Overall, the distribution of lesions in all age groups was 41.6% in the right lobe, 9.3% lesions were adenomatous, 71.1% were colloid, and 10.4% were lymphocytic. The final diagnosis of thyroid lesions was confirmed after histopathological examinations. Out of 173 cases, 12.6% (20 cases) of male patients and 87.4% (139 cases) of female patients had benign lesions, respectively. Only one male case was malignant, and seven cases were malignant in female group. Eighty percent of males and 77.7% females have colloid nodules, and 15% of males and 9.3% of females have adenomatous nodules. Four cases were non-diagnostic, one case was atypia in females, and one case was suspicious of malignancy in a male.

Conclusions

Most thyroid lesions in this study population were benign, while papillary carcinoma was the most common malignancy encountered. There was a marked female predominance in all types of thyroid diseases. The most common age group affected is 30 - 39 years. In Saudi Arabia, growing prevalence of thyroid cancer may be due to the increased screening using sensitive imaging in clinical practice, and ultrasonography is the most accurate and cost-effective method for detecting thyroid lesions.

Educational Module Intervention for Radiographers to Reduce Repetition Rate of Routine Digital Chest Radiography in Makkah Region of Saudi Arabia Tertiary Hospitals: Protocol of a Quasi-Experimental Study

Background

Repetition of an image is a critical event in any radiology department. When the repetition rate of routine digital chest radiographs is high, radiation exposure of staff and patients is increased. In addition, repetition consumes the equipment’s life span, thus affecting the annual budget of the department.

Objective

The aim of this study is to determine the impact of a printed educational module on reducing the repetition rate of routine digital chest radiography among radiographers in Makkah Region tertiary hospitals.

Methods

A quasi-experimental time series with a control group will be conducted in Makkah Region tertiary hospitals for 8 months starting in the second quarter of 2017. Four hospitals out of 5 in the region will be selected; 2 of them will be selected as the control group and the other 2 as the intervention group. Stratification and a simple random sampling technique will be used to sample 56 radiographers in each group. Pre- and postintervention assessments will be conducted to determine the radiographer knowledge, motivation, and skills and repetition rate of chest radiographs. Radiographs of the chest performed by sampled radiographers in the selected hospitals will be collected for 2 weeks before and after the intervention. A piloted questionnaire will be distributed and collected by a researcher in both groups. One-way multivariate analysis of variance and 2-way repeated multivariate analysis of variance will be used to analyze the data.

Results

It is expected that the repetition rate in the intervention group will decline after implementing the intervention and the change will be statistically significant (P<.05). Furthermore, it is expected that the knowledge, motivation, and skill levels in the intervention group will increase significantly among radiographers after implementation of the intervention (P<.05). Meanwhile, knowledge, motivation, and skills in the control group will not change.

Conclusions

A quasi-experimental time series with a control will be conducted to investigate the effect of printed educational material in reducing the repetition rate of routine digital chest radiographs among radiographers in tertiary hospitals in the Makkah Region of Saudi Arabia.