Developing the Academic Radiographer of the future: There is a growing demand for academic radiography practitioners to provide quality education with modern relevance

The evolving role of the radiographer has directly influenced the provision of contemporary patient care pathways. Evidence-based clinical radiography practice is increasingly being promoted as education and research has become an integral pillar of the profession

Developing the academic radiographer of the future

There is a growing demand for academic radiography practitioners to provide quality education with modern relevance

Mental Health Risk and Associated Factors in the Aftermath of the 2015 Earthquake in Nepal: A Systematic Literature Review

Background: In 2015, Nepal was struck by two massive earthquakes with magnitudes over the 7.0 Richter Scale, imposing short- and long-term mental health risks. This review aims to: (a) evaluate mental health risk among the earthquake survivors; and, (b) identify factors that influence it. Methods: The following databases: Scopus and PubMed were searched to identify studies published from 2015 to July 2020 on the mental health risk among the Nepali populations. Inclusion criteria were: (a) primary research related to mental health after the 2015 earthquakes in Nepal, (b) English language articles, (c) access to full-text literature, and (d) studies conducted on the general population of Nepal. Exclusion criteria were: (a) newspaper articles or other forms of popular media, (b) grey records and reviews or, (c) studies carried out among patients in a clinical setting. Key features and risk of bias factors were extracted from each study to obtain necessary characteristics for further analysis of results. Results: The initial search produced 134 articles, however, a total, 14 studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were explored for this review. Ten of these articles were obtained from established databases, and four additional studies were obtained from other sources. Findings indicate that post-traumatic stress was mostly present among earthquake survivors with rates varying from 4.9% to 51%. Mental health risks for children and adolescent were mostly high with rates greater than 23% across studies. However, the adult prevalence rate for mental health risk was lower than that of children and adolescents, with most rates across studies lower than 20%. Socio-demographic factors (such as gender and age) and methodological heterogeneities such as variations in study design and mental health tools used to assess rates were associated factors that potentially influenced the findings. Conclusion: Mental health risks are present among earthquake survivors in Nepal. Various factors have been identified as potential mental health risk rate influencers including sex, with females presenting as the higher at-risk group for mental health relative to males. Methodological issues such as a wide range of mental health assessment instruments employed across studies can potentially impact rates

Research and evidence-based practice in clinical radiography: A systematic review of barriers and recommendations for a new direction

Introduction: Existing literature provides valuable insight into the application of evidence-based practice (EBP) in Radiography; however, it primarily focuses on localised, context-specific scenarios within individual countries or institutions. This review aims to systematically explore the barriers to EBP and research implementation in clinical Radiography practice internationally. Methodology: A mixed-method systematic review was implemented to obtain data from primary studies of qualitative, quantitative and mixed-methods designs. Articles were searched between June and July 2023 from the following scientific databases: PubMed, Medline, CINAHL, Science Direct and manual search dating from 2003 to July 2023. The reviewed studies were subjected to data extraction and results-based convergent synthesis. Results: A total of 376 articles were identified through electronic database search and citation screening after the removal of duplicates. Thirty-one studies met the predetermined inclusion criteria and were included for this review. The challenges to EBP implementation in clinical Radiography are broadly themed around professional and personal obligations, motivation and organisational culture, knowledge and skill gaps, resources and opportunities, and institutional governance. Conclusion: Globally, clinical radiographers perceived a high level of motivation and interest towards research activities. However, numerous barriers were reported such as insufficient time allocation for research, lack of resources, lack of research culture and inadequate research-related skills and knowledge. A transition towards greater evidence-based practice precipitates the quality of clinical Radiography services, augmenting efficiency in the workflow process and enriching patient experience. Implications for practice: Radiography managers must develop strategies that aim to stimulate radiographers to initiate research projects. Beyond allocation of protected time, managers should inspire staff participation in research activities through implementation of effective departmental level culture and governance for quality service delivery and improved patient care

Towards describing the global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on clinical radiography education: A Systematic Review

Introduction : The sudden onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has brought significant and rapid changes to the traditional ways of providing radiography education, including adaptations to teaching and learning styles as well as disruptions to students’ clinical placement. This review explored the impact of the pandemic on clinical radiography education globally. Methods : A systematic literature search was conducted on relevant databases, including PubMed, Science Direct, CINAHL (Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and SCOPUS. All relevant articles were critically appraised for quality and subjected to information extraction and results-based convergent synthesis. Results : A total of 17 articles met the inclusion and exclusion criteria for this review. The key findings are themed around challenges and benefits with the introduction of new teaching and learning approaches and resilience exhibited by students during the pandemic to overcome: inadequate support and mentorship while transitioning to fully qualified professionals, challenges with PPE usage, and impact on personal and academic life. Conclusions : Globally, radiography students experienced several challenges, especially during the initial acute phase of the pandemic. The pandemic-related challenges identified in this review could negatively influence the radiography student attrition rates, consequently worsening the existing radiography workforce shortage. Thus, urgent institutional level support systems and interventions would be necessary to mitigate the pandemic impact and improve the students learning experience

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on clinical radiography practice in low resource settings: The Ghanaian Radiographers’ Perspective

Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic has altered the professional practice of all healthcare workers, including radiographers. In the pandemic, clinical practice of radiographers was centred mostly on chest imaging of COVID-19 patients and radiotherapy treatment care delivery to those with cancer. This study aimed to assess the radiographers’ perspective on the impact of the pandemic on their wellbeing and imaging service delivery in Ghana. Methods A cross-sectional survey of practising radiographers in Ghana was conducted online from March 26th to May 6th, 2020. A previously validated questionnaire that sought information regarding demographics, general perspectives on personal and professional impact of the pandemic was used as the research instrument. Data obtained was analysed using Microsoft Excel® 2016. Results A response rate of 57.3% (134/234) was obtained. Of the respondents, 75.4% (n=101) reported to have started experiencing high levels of workplace-related stress after the outbreak. Three-quarters (n=98, 73.1%) of respondents reported limited access to any form of psychosocial support systems at work during the study period. Half (n=67, 50%) of the respondents reported a decline in general workload during the study period while only a minority (n=18, 13.4%) reported an increase in workload due to COVID-19 cases. Conclusion This national survey indicated that majority of the workforce started experiencing coronavirus-specific workplace-related stress after the outbreak. Albeit speculative, low patient confidence and fear of contracting the COVID-19 infection on hospital attendance contributed to the decline in general workload during the study period. Implications for practice In order to mitigate the burden of workplace-related stress on frontline workers, including radiographers, and in keeping to standard practices for staff mental wellbeing and patient safety, institutional support structures are necessary in similar future pandemics

Clinical placement challenges associated with radiography education in a low-resource setting: A qualitative exploration of the Ethiopian landscape

Introduction: Clinical placements (CP) are of paramount importance in the learning and the acquisition of key competencies in terms of knowledge, skill and professional attributes required for clinical radiography practice. This study explored the challenges faced by radiography students and educators in relation to clinical placement and training in Ethiopia. Methods: A qualitative approach using focus group discussion and interviews were used to explore the experiences of students and educators, respectively, pertaining to challenges encountered in relation to the clinical placement of students across four university affiliated hospitals. Data obtained was analysed using a structured three step framework and the coding approach employed in a thematic analysis. Results: Participants comprise of third- and fourth-year undergraduate radiography students (n = 14) and educators [academic faculty (n = 7) and clinical practice educators (n = 8)]. Four main themes were identified, which relate to deficiencies of an existing training curriculum and its implementation strategies, inadequate resource and infrastructure within the CP environments and absence of advanced training opportunities. Conclusion: This research showed that there are many and varied challenges encountered by both students and educators in relation to CP and training of radiography students in Ethiopia. These challenges could potentially affect the future performance of students/practitioners and/or the appropriate application of the core clinical radiography skills and competencies in the world of work. Implications for practice: Clinical radiography training in resource-limited settings will require urgent attention and support with modern infrastructure including simulation to augment their clinical development to acceptable standards

Longitudinal structural brain changes in bipolar disorder: A multicenter neuroimaging study of 1232 individuals by the ENIGMA Bipolar Disorder Working Group

Background Bipolar disorder (BD) is associated with cortical and subcortical structural brain abnormalities. It is unclear whether such alterations progressively change over time, and how this is related to the number of mood episodes. To address this question, we analyzed a large and diverse international sample with longitudinal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and clinical data to examine structural brain changes over time in BD. Methods Longitudinal structural MRI and clinical data from the ENIGMA-BD Working Group, including 307 BD patients and 925 healthy controls (HC), were collected from 14 sites worldwide. Male and female participants, aged 40 ± 17 years, underwent MRI at two time points. Cortical thickness, surface area, and subcortical volumes were estimated using FreeSurfer. Annualized change rates for each imaging phenotype were compared between BD and HC. Within patients, we related brain change rates to the number of mood episodes between time points and tested for effects of demographic and clinical variables. Results Compared with HC, BD patients showed faster enlargement of ventricular volumes and slower thinning of fusiform and parahippocampal cortex (0.18<d<0.22). More (hypo)manic episodes were associated with faster cortical thinning, primarily in the prefrontal cortex. Conclusion In the hitherto largest longitudinal MRI study on BD, we did not detect accelerated cortical thinning but noted faster ventricular enlargements in BD. Abnormal fronto-cortical thinning was however observed in association with frequent manic episodes. Our study yields insights into disease progression in BD, and highlights the importance of mania prevention in BD treatment

Radiographers’ perspectives on the emerging integration of artificial intelligence into diagnostic imaging: The Ghana study

Introduction The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) systems into medical imaging is advancing the practice and patient care. It is thought to further revolutionise the entire field in the near future. This study explored Ghanaian radiographers’ perspectives on the integration of AI into medical imaging. Methods A cross‐sectional online survey of registered Ghanaian radiographers was conducted within a 3‐month period (February‐April, 2020). The survey sought information relating to demography, general perspectives on AI and implementation issues. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for data analyses. Results A response rate of 64.5% (151/234) was achieved. Majority of the respondents (n = 122, 80.8%) agreed that AI technology is the future of medical imaging. A good number of them (n = 131, 87.4%) indicated that AI would have an overall positive impact on medical imaging practice. However, some expressed fears about AI‐related errors (n = 126, 83.4%), while others expressed concerns relating to job security (n = 35, 23.2%). High equipment cost, lack of knowledge and fear of cyber threats were identified as some factors hindering AI implementation in Ghana. Conclusions The radiographers who responded to this survey demonstrated a positive attitude towards the integration of AI into medical imaging. However, there were concerns about AI‐related errors, job displacement and salary reduction which need to be addressed. Lack of knowledge, high equipment cost and cyber threats could impede the implementation of AI in medical imaging in Ghana. These findings are likely comparable to most low resource countries and we suggest more education to promote credibility of AI in practice

Experiences and perceptions of men following breast cancer diagnosis: a mixed method systematic review

Background Men with breast cancer experience unique physical and emotional challenges. However, a thorough understanding of these experiences including the psychosocial effects and supportive care needs have received less attention. In some settings, men with breast cancer experience stigma within the healthcare system and their care needs are not prioritised. This influences the level of professional support offered, consequently worsening their health and well-being outcomes. This review explored the variabilities in the experiences and treatment modalities of male breast cancer (MBC) across different contexts. Methods All primary study designs including qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods studies that reported on the experiences, treatment approaches and outcomes of MBC were included in this systematic review. Six databases (Embase, Medline, PsycINFO, Global Health, CINAHL and Web of Science) were searched for articles from Janu-ary 2000 to September 2023. A results-based convergence synthesis was used for data analysis and reported using PRISMA guidelines. Results Of the studies screened (n = 29,687), forty-four fulfilled the predetermined criteria and were included. Our findings relating to the experiences and treatment approaches of MBC are broadly themed into three parts. Theme 1-Navigating through a threat to masculinity: describes how males experienced the illness reflecting on detection, diagnosis, coming to terms with breast cancer, and disclosure. Theme 2-Navigating through treatment: captures the experiences of undergoing breast cancer treatment/ management following their diagnosis. Theme 3-Coping and support systems: describes how MBC patients coped with the disease, treatment process, aftercare/rehabilitative care, and the available support structures. Conclusions Men experience a myriad of issues following a breast cancer diagnosis, especially with their masculinity. Awareness creation efforts of MBC among the public and healthcare practitioners are urgently required, which could change the perception of men in promoting early diagnosis, adherence to treatments, post-treatment monitoring, oncological results and a better quality of life. Considerations for training, education and development of specialised guidelines for healthcare practitioners on MBC would provide the necessary knowledge and skills to enhance their practice through the adoption of person-centred and male-specific care strategies. Professional care intervention and support for MBC should not end after the diagnosis phase but should extend to the entire treatment continuum and aftercare including future research focusing on MBC specific clinical trials