Perceptions of Radiation Safety Culture Among Radiography, Computed Tomography, And Mammography Technologists.

Purpose: To investigate determinants of radiation safety culture among radiologic technologists to determine whether factors related to the primary imaging modality affect the perception of workplace radiation safety.

Methods: A secondary analysis was performed on deidentified data from 425 radiologic technologists collected with the Radiation Actions and Dimensions of Radiation Safety (RADS) questionnaire, a 35-item survey with valid and reliable psychometric properties. The data included radiologic technologists working in radiography, computed tomography (CT), and mammography.

Medical Home, Developmental Monitoring/Screening, and Early Autism Identification.

Developmental monitoring/screening predict early identified autism spectrum disorders (ASD), but studies have not yet robustly controlled for a key health care service impacting early identification: medical home. National Surveys of Children's Health (NSCH; 2016-2020) were used to determine the relationship between medical home, developmental monitoring/screening, and identified ASD. NSCH overall medical home variable had a minimal relationship with ASD (under 5 years of age, under 5 identified in last year, under 5 identified over a year prior).

Effects of Work Shift or Shift Length on Radiation Safety Perception.

Purpose: This study investigated several determinants of radiation safety culture among radiologic technologists to determine whether factors related to work shifts or workday length affect the perception of workplace radiation safety.

Methods: The secondary analysis used de-identified data from 425 radiologic technologists collected with the Radiation Actions and Dimensions of Radiation Safety (RADS) questionnaire, a 35-item survey with valid and reliable psychometric properties. Respondents included radiologic technologists working in radiography, computed tomography (CT), mammography, and hospital radiology administration.

Perceptions of Radiation Safety Culture in Medical Imaging by Role.

Purpose: To determine whether radiologic technologists' perceptions of determinants of radiation safety culture differ significantly based on their primary role.

Methods: A secondary analysis of deidentified data from 425 radiologic technologists who participated in the Radiation Actions and Dimensions of Radiation Safety questionnaire, a 35-item survey with valid and reliable psychometric properties, was performed. Nine determinants (dependent variables) of radiation safety culture were analyzed in this study.

AAPM task group report 305: Guidance for standardization of vendor-neutral reject analysis in radiography.

Reject rate analysis is considered an integral part of a diagnostic radiography quality control (QC) program. A rejected image is a patient radiograph that was not presented to a radiologist for diagnosis and that contributes unnecessary radiation dose to the patient. Reject rates that are either too high or too low may suggest systemic department shortcomings in QC mechanisms.

Radiologic Technologists' Knowledge of And Comfort Explaining Effective Dose.

Purpose: To examine U.S. radiologic technologists' perceived level of knowledge of radiation effective dose, their level of comfort communicating effective dose information for common imaging procedures to patients, and their ability to compare effective doses for different medical imaging procedures.

Radiologic Technologists' Perceived Reasons for Inappropriate Imaging.

Purpose: To examine whether radiologic technologists' perceptions of imaging appropriateness differed based on their primary imaging modality, work shift, shift length, and primary practice type.

Methods: A national, cross-sectional study was conducted in the fourth quarter of 2019 using a simple, randomized sample of American Society of Radiologic Technologists (ASRT) members. Study participants were employed in health care settings in radiography, computed tomography (CT), mammography, or radiology leadership.

Radiologic Technologists' Perceptions of Imaging Appropriateness in Radiography, CT, and Mammography.

Purpose: To determine U.S.-based radiologic technologists' perceptions of imaging appropriateness by imaging modality and to examine relationships between descriptive variables and perception of imaging appropriateness scores.

Determinants of Overall Perception of Radiation Safety Among Radiologic Technologists.

Purpose: To examine the determinants of radiation safety culture among radiologic technologists in the United States. The specific aims were to report descriptive statistics related to radiation safety culture determinants and examine relationships between specific determinants of radiation safety culture and overall perception of radiation safety (OPRS).

Methods: Radiologic technologists working in radiography, mammography, and computed tomography were identified using the American Society of Radiologic Technologists membership database.

Validity and Reliability of a Radiation Safety Culture Survey Instrument for Radiologic Technologists.

Purpose: To design and evaluate a survey instrument to quantitatively examine radiologic technologists' perception of radiation safety culture.

Methods: A survey instrument with determinants related to radiation actions and dimensions of radiation safety (RADS) was designed through a multisequential process involving content and scale validity and internal reliability. A 6-member panel evaluated content validity, and 425 radiologic technologists participated in the study to determine the reliability of the survey instrument items and determinant scales.

An Interdisciplinary Approach to Improving Radiation Protection in Digital Radiography.

Purpose: To determine improvement approaches that can be routinely incorporated in digital radiography to ensure that radiation protection practices are based on current equipment capabilities.

Methods: A literature review was conducted on digital radiography as it pertains to radiation protection, quality improvement, evidence-based practice, and interdisciplinary approaches.

Results: Transitioning from film-screen radiography to digital radiography has resulted in confusion in applying appropriate techniques and abiding by the as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA) concept.

Manipulation of projection approach in pediatric radiography.

Purpose: To determine whether manipulating routine projections from anteroposterior (AP) to posteroanterior (PA) during projection radiography studies will result in reduced pediatric radiation exposure.

Method: A literature analysis was conducted on pediatric radiation exposure, radiation protection, and tissue weighting factors. Multiple quantitative datasets were used to support findings related to projection manipulation.

Medical radiation dose perception and its effect on public health.

Purpose: To determine whether public health implications exist in regard to medical radiation exposure.

Methods: A comprehensive literature review was conducted to investigate the value of medical imaging procedures that use ionizing radiation and the need for public radiation awareness. The significance of radiation exposure on public health was sought from historic and modern perspectives.

The Image Gently pediatric digital radiography safety checklist: tools for improving pediatric radiography.

Transition from film-screen to digital radiography requires changes in radiographic technique and workflow processes to ensure that the minimum radiation exposure is used while maintaining diagnostic image quality. Checklists have been demonstrated to be useful tools for decreasing errors and improving safety in several areas, including commercial aviation and surgical procedures. The Image Gently campaign, through a competitive grant from the FDA, developed a checklist for technologists to use during the performance of digital radiography in pediatric patients.

Image gently campaign back to basics initiative: ten steps to help manage radiation dose in pediatric digital radiography.

Objective: The purpose of this review is to summarize 10 steps a practice can take to manage radiation exposure in pediatric digital radiography.

Conclusion: The Image Gently campaign raises awareness of opportunities for lowering radiation dose while maintaining diagnostic quality of images of children. The newest initiative in the campaign, Back to Basics, addresses methods for standardizing the approach to pediatric digital radiography, highlighting challenges related to the technology in imaging of patients of widely varying body sizes.