48 Methods: A social constructivist conceptual framework informed the inductive, emerging qualitative research design adopted for this study. An instrumental case study of one district hospital and its referral links was selected as methodological point of departure. The study consisted of two main phases, the one following on the other. In the first phase,real-life, individual mini-case studies were conducted by “shadowing”24 patients, from the point of reporting to the hospital up to their discharge from hospital or admission for in-hospital treatment. Data collection methods in this phase included entry and exit interviews with patients, observations at various points of care, and interviews with different health care providers involved with the care of each patient. Results: Provider-patient interactions are explored in terms of patterns of interaction during the consultation and the diagnostic imaging investigation, as well as in terms of issues of communication, continuity and fragmentation. Patient expectations and experiences are explored from the viewpoint of health providers and of the patients themselves. The findings in this report are structured around the following themes: (a) services and administrative processes and referral pathways for diagnostic imaging investigations; with an overview of the health-facility complex in which the district hospital was situated and the various referral pathways for diagnostic imaging investigation that could be followed. (b) This exposition is followed by an exploration of structural and organisational interactions between health care providers from referral for diagnostic imaging, to investigation, interpretation and integration.; (c) Interprofessional interactions between and experiences of health care providers; (d) provider-patient interactions with regard to diagnostic imaging investigation, with a special focus on the role of the radiographer as trainer, mediator, gate keeper and gap filler and the differences in interactions inside a radiology department and outside of it. 16.3. Imaging the body and coping with patients, radiographers and radiological technologists’ practices: an ethnographic perspective Presenter: José Jorge, Haute École de Santé Vaud, HES-SO, Switzerland Authors: Jorge, J., Rey S., Schnegg C. Introduction: Most of the social sciences studies on medical radiology, the world of the transparent body, are focused on radiologists’ activity, imaging technologies and clinical procedures suggesting that medical imaging on patients would be perform exclusively by physicians and hightechnology machines. Only a few studies are focused in radiographers and radiologic technologists’ activity. Nevertheless, patients undergoing to clinical procedures in radiology services either into radio diagnostic, radiotherapy or nuclear medicine have always to deal with radiographers or radiologic technologists. Often radiographers and radiologic technologists are the unique health professional patients meet. This communication presents some results of a study designed to understand the technical mediation operating within the radiographers and radiologic technologists’ practices and the process of producing virtual medical images from and with real patients. We considered technology as a full actor that mediate and structure the interactions established between patients and radiographers when medical radiology clinical procedures are realize. In other words, this study intended to contribute to a better understanding of care radiographers and radiologic technologists’ practices acting when radiologic clinical procedures are performed. This is what can be called the invisible side of their professional action, as these professionals are mainly identified from the only visible point of view of technical performance linked to the cure paradigm of modern scientific biomedicine. Methods: We conducted an ethnographic study combining direct observations in radio diagnostic, radiotherapy and nuclear medicine departments and interviews with radiographers. Data were obtained by qualitative content analyses of the observations and interviews. Results: The study documents the complexity of radiographers’ practices. If the performance is directly visible on handling imaging technologies, radiographers and radiologic technologists’ action is supported by care activities. The production of virtual images of patients’ body needs simultaneously to cope with pain and fears of real patients. Nevertheless, specific manners can be characterized according respectively to radio diagnostic, radiotherapy or nuclear medicine practices. 16.4. Evaluation of in-house manufactured 99mTc-ECDG in baboons: normal biodistribution of radioactivity Presenter: Je'nine Horn-Lodewyk, Universitas hospital, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Bloemfontein South-Africa Authors: J. Horn-Lodewyk, A.C. Otto, J.M. Wagener, J.R. Zeevaart and M. Janse van Vuuren Introduction: The Universitas Academic Hospital together with the South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa) developed an in-house manufactured (IHM) technetium-ethylenedicysteine-deoxyglucose (99mTc-ECDG) as an effective tumour and infection glucose metabolism imaging agent. The aim of the study was to determine the normal biodistribution of the newly synthesised IHM 99mTc-ECDG in baboons. Methods: Imaging was performed on six baboons at 0-, 1- and 2 hours (h). Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography was performed on one baboon at 2 h. Regions of interest were drawn around the organs to determine the biodistribution of the IHM 99mTc-ECDG. Results: The normal biodistribution of the IHM 99mTc-ECDG was effectively demonstrated in all six baboons with significant uptake to the brain, heart, liver, gallbladder, joints and kidneys. IHM 99mTc-ECDG was excreted from the kidneys to the bladder. The in-house manufactured 99mTc-ECDG visually demonstrated lower biodistribution to the brain as observed with 18F-FDG (gold standard). This may need to be evaluated further. 16.5. A Norwegian Radiography Research group, how to establish and operate an research group in a small country – the journey to our first radiographic study Presenter: Kari Gerhardsen Vikestad, Norwegian Radiography Research group Authors: Kari Gerhardsen Vikestad, Linda Hafskjold, Mona Vestbostad Introduction: Need for research in the radiography field, theory development and also identity clarification should be taken seriously. It is therefore recommended that radiographers should commit research in order to bring the profession forward. Radiography is a fast evolving profession which demand rapidly change in education, research and practice. Research in this field is therefore a requirement. 35 years after graduating the first radiographer in Norway and two years after the first radiographer achieved the PhD, a group of radiographers constituted a research group. A wintry day in December 2006 was a proud moment for establishing of the group Norwegian Radiography research group (RadForum). Radiographers starting or post-graduate education for Master of Science and PhD were invited to participate. The main objective of RadForum was to promote research in the radiographic field in Norway and to raise awareness for research among radiographers. The research group declared a vision, containing of three statements: to be a knowledge resource, to be a source of motivation and to be a promoter of radiographic research. Contact and agreements with the Norwegian society of radiography was created and members of the research group started to teaching evidence-based knowledge among radiographers in various courses that Norwegian society of radiography arranged and thus promote the research group to search for members. The first three years RadForum spent time establishing, make statutes and finding our position in the radiologic environmental in Norway. Five years after establishing we conduct a study, aiming to make a baseline for radiographers beliefs to research. Methods: A quantitative study aiming to describe the Norwegian radiographer’s attitude of research. Who are responsible for radiographic research? How many radiographers are involved in research? How many radiographers have published in scientific journals Results: RadForum is now a part of The Norwegian society of radiography in Norway and have collected data for the first study. All radiographer in Norway was included in the study and hopefully we get a useful baseline point to further research. Number of members has been doubled and the research group are currently a natural co-partner in the established radiographic and radiologic environment in Norway.
ISRRT | Book Of Abstracts
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