23 Results: This comparative analysis concludes that educators, professional associations and international health organizations such as the ISRRT all have a leadership role to play in educating health professionals on the dangers of the use of social media to interact with other health professionals and with patients - especially where personal health information is involved. 7.28. An overview of Radiological Technology Education and Training in Nepal Presenter: Thakur Prasad Lamsal, Sub-Regional Hospital, Dadeldhura, Nepal Author: Thakur Prasad Lamsal Introduction: As a developing country, the health care sector in Nepal has very limited resources. Nepal is still struggling to improve and manage even conventional radiological examinations. Radiological Services in Nepal started in 1923 and the first health related training program started in 1933 at Nepal Rajkiya Ayurved School. However, formal radiological education in Nepal started in 1936. Since 2008 3 three years diploma radiography courses has been conducting across the country. In Nepal there are 125 vocational health training institutes and among them only 15 are conducting radiography educations. Bachelor level radiography education is taught in two universities whereas master level radiography course is taught in one and next university is in pipeline. Radiography teaching methodology like audiovisual and computer aided methods are being used, whereas the curricula’s are not based on problem based learning. Continuing professional programme isn’t familiar around the students and professionals. Radiography licensed accreditation organization; Nepal Health Professionals Council has established their curricula, minimum standards of education/training guidelines and code of ethics but monitoring and evaluation activates were not done regularly across the nation. Activities on quality assurance and radiation protection were never done by both Council for Technical Education and Vocational Training and Nepal Health Professional Council. Optimizing patient care is a cross cutting issue globally, hence to obtain such objective from Nepal, here we should promptly established a standardization of education and training Nepalese Radiological Technology Education. Methods: A review of historical documents and interviews with selected officials from Nepalese Radiological community were performed. A combination of desk review has also been done related to policies, strategies, and plans among the profession. Conclusions: The situation of Nepalese radiography education is alarming; in the sense of increasing quantitative production with a decrease in qualitative services. Training of mid-level staff is regarded to be of low quality whereas standardization of education and training is minimal. Regular monitoring and evaluation doesn’t exist in the field of radiography education by concerned authorities. Quality radiological Services will only exist in Nepal when it has provision of effective legislative authority. 7.29. Standardised training and assessment in radiation safety for diagnostic radiographers Presenter: Belinda Van Der Merwe, Central University of Technology CUT), Free State, South Africa Author: B vd Merwe Introduction: In South Africa, the Department of Health Directorate Radiation Control, lists the responsibilities of license holders of medical xray equipment in the Code of Practice for users of medical x-ray equipment. The licence holder and responsible person must apart from equipment requirements, ensure that persons occupationally exposed to ionizing radiation (radiation workers) are identified and issued with personal radiation monitoring devices (PRMD’s). The code mandates further that every radiation worker receive education regarding the risks and safety rules of ionizing radiation. Diagnostic radiographers and radiologists employed in x-ray departments are potentially exposed to ionizing radiation and therefore radiation workers. Entry level radiation workers, as example, the first year radiography student or registrar are legally required to be monitored and issued with dosimeters as soon as they are placed in clinical practice. Tertiary curriculums of these disciplines include academic exposure in the aspects pertaining to ionizing radiation but standardisation concerning the teaching of radiography students as dosimeter holders by higher education institutions is not certain. The authentic interpretation of the qualification exit level outcomes of every tertiary institution in S.A may have the potential to result in differences in content and assessment. In South Africa currently no standardised training course for dosimeter holders in diagnostic radiography exists. It is assumed that dosimeter holders adhere to ionising safety regulations but it is imperative to provide evidence of fulfilment in the light of the statement that most over exposures are generally caused by human error. This study can serve as a directive for higher education institutions as well as licence holders that will benefit if evidence of fulfilment of the education of radiographers as radiation workers in the hazards and risks of ionising radiation can be confirmed. Method: A Delphi process established a set of criteria needed for the academic development and implementation of a training course for diagnostic radiography students. The Delphi process involved a qualitative approach to determine the objectives for the dosimeter training course. The second part of the study was to determine the knowledge of the radiation worker regarding the decided outcomes before the teaching and learning (T & L) activities and to conclude the effect of the planned T & L activities on the accomplishment of the outcomes by means of a post questionnaire. Two questionnaires were compiled, basic, for the first year radiography student and advanced for the graduate (representing the potential license holder of x-ray equipment). Conclusion: The opinion of the Delphi experts guided the outcomes of a standardised training course. The value of this study is to ensure that radiography students will be equipped with sufficient knowledge to implement regulations and requirements to ensure that the radiation exposure to radiation workers and patients is kept ALARA. 7.30. A novel approach to medical imaging pre-clinical skills training Presenter: Debbie Starkey, Queensland University of Technology, Australia Authors: D.Starkey; P. Rowntree; T.Gunn; P.Bridge, Queensland University of Technology, Discipline of Medical Radiation Science Introduction: The Medical Imaging Training Immersive Environment (MITIE) is a recently developed virtual reality platform for students of Medical Imaging. The software application was developed at Queensland University of Technology (QUT) through funding support from a Health Workforce Australia “Simulated Learning Environments” grant.. At QUT, MITIE has been utilized as a training technology for students to develop and enhance clinical skills in medical imaging positioning. The software program enables students to practice the positioning of the radiographic equipment and the patient for a range of patient examinations and view the outcomes. The resultant image can be compared and manipulated to meet the given "gold standard" for positioning. The MITIE system is able to be utilised as either a desktop 2D version or for use in a 3D immersion projection laboratory. Current modules are: General radiography “C” Arm Fluoroscopy in the context of an Operating theatre Computed Tomography Methods: This presentation will demonstrate the system and describe the current applications and experiences with the integration of MITIE into the Medical Imaging Curriculum. Qualitative analysis of student feedback following the use of MITIE will be given. Results: The introduction of the MITIE training system has complemented the existing opportunities which students have in the development of preclinical skills using a conventional medical imaging laboratory and the associated PACS equipment for image viewing. It has also broadened opportunities for skills development in the process of obtaining an image using a CT scanner and C--arm units prior to encountering them in clinical practice. 7.31. What influences the organization of specialized radiography training? Presenter: Piret Vahtramäe, Tartu Health Care College, Estonia Authors: Vahtramäe, P., Läänelaid, Z. Introduction: Each patient has the right to receive high quality health services, including diagnostic imaging and radiotherapy services. To provide these high quality services the professionals should have specialized training in different fields of diagnostic imaging and radiotherapy, although the conduct of the specialized training courses is often compromised by the limited amount of human and financial resources that are available. Methods: Overview of 1) development of a specialized training curriculum, 2) evaluation of the curriculum and training process by students, experts and teachers, 3) employment of the graduates and the factors influencing the sustainability of the curriculum.
ISRRT | Book Of Abstracts
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