American Registry Of Radiologic Technologists Research Articles

Evaluating Artificial Intelligence Competency in Education: Performance of ChatGPT-4 in the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) Radiography Certification Exam

Rationale and ObjectivesThe American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) leads the certification process with an exam comprising 200 multiple-choice questions. This study aims to evaluate ChatGPT-4's performance in responding to practice questions similar to those found in the ARRT board examination. Materials and MethodsWe used a dataset of 200 practice multiple-choice questions for the ARRT certification exam from BoardVitals. Each question was fed to ChatGPT-4 fifteen times, resulting in 3,000 observations to account for response variability. ResultsChatGPT's overall performance was 80.56%, with higher accuracy on text-based questions (86.3%) compared to image-based questions (45.6%). Response times were longer for image-based questions (18.01 seconds) than for text-based questions (13.27 seconds). Performance varied by domain: 72.6% for Safety, 70.6% for Image Production, 67.3% for Patient Care, and 53.4% for Procedures. As anticipated, performance was best on on easy questions (78.5%). ConclusionChatGPT demonstrated effective performance on the BoardVitals question bank for ARRT certification. Future studies could benefit from analyzing the correlation between BoardVitals scores and actual exam outcomes. Further development in AI, particularly in image processing and interpretation, is necessary to enhance its utility in educational settings.

Advancing leadership in medical radiation sciences: Incorporating systematic leadership education in pre-registration curricula

Advancing leadership in medical radiation sciences: Incorporating systematic leadership education in pre-registration curricula

Predictors of Success on the Credentialing Examination in Radiography for First- and Non-First-Generation Students

Background: Identifying predictors of student success is fundamental across higher education in the United States, particularly for historically underserved first-generation students. In radiologic technology programs, the literature suggests that variables prior to and during matriculation in these programs affects scores on the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) credentialing examination in Radiography. However, the evidence in this area has not considered the educational patterns for first-generation students. Purpose: This study sought to improve our understanding about how select student background characteristics and experiences prior to and during the years enrolled in radiologic technology programs accredited by the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT) affect scores on the ARRT credentialing examination in radiography, especially for first-generation students. Method: The researchers surveyed graduates from radiologic technology programs in 2018 and 2019 who attempted the radiography credentialing examination in these two years. Results: A total of 286 cases were included in the analysis, which revealed different patterns and effects of predictor variables on credentialing examination scores for first- and non-first-generation students. Whereas 10 variables prior to and during matriculation affected examination scores for first-generation students, only 8 did for their non-first-generation peers. Conclusion: Identifying predictors of success in radiologic technology programs helps professionals in these programs design environments that provide opportunities for students to enhance their chances to be successful on the Radiography exam, especially first-generation students.

Radiology Education and the Quality of Care: Radiation Dose

The purpose of this quantitative, quasi-experimental study was to analyze whether the education of radiology personnel mandated by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) affects the quality of care delivered to radiology patients. One area of radiology quality of care was focused on the findings presented in this study: radiation dosage. Three groups of study participants were used. The participants were chosen and divided into groups based on their radiology background, non-radiology medical background, or lack of medical background. All study participants were required to complete an assessment asking participants what radiation dosage and shields they would use for a standard set of radiographic examinations. A training video was shown to those participants with no radiology background prior to the assessment. The data provided by each group was compared to determine similarities and variances between the groups and ANOVA calculations were completed. Differences were found between the assessments completed by members of all three groups. The results support the perception that ARRT-mandated education does affect radiation dosage chosen in the care of radiology patients.

The HESI Admission Assessment and Radiography Exit Examination as Predictors for Student Success

PurposeTo examine the relationship between the Health Education Systems, Inc. (HESI) Admission Assessment (A2) and specific established admission criteria in an entry-level radiologic sciences (RADS) program, and to determine any correlations between the program exit examination, the HESI radiography exit examination, and the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) first-time registry scores for two consecutive program cohorts. DesignA quantitative approach was used to compare students' semester grades in English (6 credit hours), anatomy and physiology (8 credit hours), and college-level mathematics (3 credit hours) to scores on comparable categories of the HESI A2. Students' scores on program exit examinations, the HESI radiography exit examination, and the ARRT first-attempt registry scores were also compared. Quantitative measurements were obtained using z scores and conducting a Pearson correlation reliability coefficient test. Results and ConclusionThere was no correlation between the HESI A2 examination and program admission criteria except when a minimum passing score of 70 was applied to the HESI A2, eliminating some students. Except for one student in each cohort, those students who would have been eliminated by the HESI also left the program, failed the ARRT registry examination, or consistently made low grades (Cs or Ds) in the program. This study showed that the HESI radiography exit examination had a high degree of correlation with the program exit examination and the ARRT registry examination. Finally, this study showed that the HESI A2 examination is a good potential additional tool to use for admission criteria when an appropriate minimum passing score is set and may help in selection of students who will be successful in the program.

Certification of Imaging Informatics Professionals (CIIP): 2010 Survey of Diplomates

The Certification for Imaging Informatics Professionals (CIIP) program is sponsored by the Society of Imaging Informatics in Medicine and the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists through the American Board of Imaging Informatics. In 2005, a survey was conducted of radiologists, technologists, information technology specialists, corporate information officers, and radiology administrators to identify the competencies and skill set that would define a successful PACS administrator. The CIIP examination was created in 2007 in response to the need for an objective way to test for such competencies, and there have been 767 professionals who have been certified through this program to date. The validity of the psychometric integrity of the examination has been previously established. In order to further understand the impact and future direction of the CIIP certification on diplomats, a survey was conducted in 2010. This paper will discuss the results of the survey.

The 2011 Nuclear Medicine Technology Job Analysis Project of the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists

The American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) conducts periodic job analysis projects to update the content and eligibility requirements for all certification examinations. In 2009, the ARRT conducted a comprehensive job analysis project to update the content specifications and clinical competency requirements for the nuclear medicine technology examination. ARRT staff and a committee of volunteer nuclear medicine technologists designed a job analysis survey that was sent to a random sample of 1,000 entry-level staff nuclear medicine technologists. Through analysis of the survey data and judgments of the committee, the project resulted in changes to the nuclear medicine technology examination task list, content specifications, and clinical competency requirements. The primary changes inspired by the project were the introduction of CT content to the examination and the expansion of the content covering cardiac procedures.

Developing and Verifying the Psychometric Integrity of the Certification Examination for Imaging Informatics Professionals

The American Board of Imaging Informatics (ABII) was founded in 2005 by the Society of Imaging Informatics in Medicine (SIIM) and the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT). ABII’s mission is to enhance patient care, professionalism, and competence in imaging informatics. This is accomplished primarily through the development and administration of a certification examination. The creation of the exam has been an exercise in open community involvement with SIIM providing access to the PACS community and ARRT providing skilled psychometric support to ensure a balanced and comprehensive examination. The process to generate the exam required several years and the efforts of dozens of subject matter experts active who volunteered to submit and validate questions for the examination. This article describes the organizational and statistical processes used to generate test items, assemble test forms, set performance standards, and validate test scores.

The impact of selected organizational variables and managerial leadership on radiation therapists' organizational commitment

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of selected organizational factors and the leadership behavior of supervisors on radiation therapists' commitment to their organizations. The population for this study consists of all full time clinical radiation therapists registered by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) in the United States. A random sample of 800 radiation therapists was obtained from the ARRT for this study. Questionnaires were mailed to all participants and measured organizational variables; managerial leadership variable and three components of organizational commitment (affective, continuance and normative). It was determined that organizational support, and leadership behavior of supervisors each had a significant and positive affect on normative and affective commitment of radiation therapists and each of the models predicted over 40% of the variance in radiation therapists organizational commitment. This study examined radiation therapists' commitment to their organizations and found that affective (emotional attachment to the organization) and normative (feelings of obligation to the organization) commitments were more important than continuance commitment (awareness of the costs of leaving the organization). This study can help radiation oncology administrators and physicians to understand the values their radiation therapy employees hold that are predictive of their commitment to the organization. A crucial result of the study is the importance of the perceived support of the organization and the leadership skills of managers/supervisors on radiation therapists' commitment to the organization.

References and Reading Lists for Imaging Informatics Professionals: Preparing for Certification

As most picture archiving and communication system (PACS) administrators or imaging informatics professionals are aware, the Society for Imaging Informatics in Medicine (SIIM, formerly SCAR) is sponsoring an effort to provide certification in the growing field. SIIM members believe that this society is the most qualified to provide guidance in the development of an exam and certification because we are an unbiased nonprofit organization. We are working with the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) to help develop and administer the test, not because we believe a Certified Imaging Informatics Professional should have a background in radiologic technology but because the ARRT has vast experience with developing and administering examinations. Many of the people who intend to take the examination have asked how to prepare for it. Of course, attending professional meetings and PACS Administration courses, including those offered by SIIM, are a good way to meet others in the profession as well as to learn new ways to solve problems. We have attempted to put together a reading list for those who also wish to prepare for the examination by reading and studying at home.

Credentialing Imaging Informatics Professionals: Creation of Items for the CIIP Examination

Credentialing Imaging Informatics Professionals: Creation of Items for the CIIP Examination

Emerging Technology and Practice: Characteristics of PET-CT Technologists

The purpose of this study was to determine how many and which computed tomography (CT) scans are performed by technologists on positron emission tomography (PET)/CT fusion scanners. A survey of registrants was conducted by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT). The sample was selected on the basis of disciplines of employment, including nuclear medicine technology (NMT), CT, and fusion. Of 676 technologists with appropriate characteristics (eg, staff technologists), a random sample of 400 was selected. A total of 173 surveys were returned (43%), and 56 respondents were identified as PET-CT technologists. Among PET-CT respondents (n = 56), 52% worked in community or university hospitals, 38% in free-standing centers, and 10% in mobile units. On the basis of the percentage of time (mean = 54%) and the number of patients per week (mean = 25), respondents spent most of their time in PET-CT or NMT. Of 53 CT-only procedures that form the ARRT's CT clinical experience requirements, 18 were identified as requirements respondents could fulfill (ie, they could be performed 3 to 5 times within a 24-month period). The average frequency of performance was at least 1 time in the past 6 months. Quality assurance procedures had higher endorsement rates (mean = 70%) and higher frequencies (mean = 1.7 times in 6 months). More than 35% of respondents could fulfill current CT clinical experience requirements. Positron emission tomography/CT technologists are mainly performing fusion scans; CT-only scans are not widely performed by PET-CT technologists on fusion scanners; PET-only scans are also rare. Most of the CT-only tasks performed are quality assurance.

Radiologist assistant certification

The American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) is the largest national, voluntary certification organization for radiologic technologists, with 235,000 registered technologists and an annual examination volume of 20,000 to 25,000. The ARRT’s board is appointed by the ACR (four members) and the American Society of Radiologic Technologists (five members). The ARRT is in the process of developing a certification for radiologist assistants. Standards of education, ethics, and examination will be adopted to identify individuals qualified to assume this new role. The program is scheduled to be available in the fall of 2005.

The influence of educational preparation on evaluations of applicants for radiation therapy positions: A policy-capturing experiment

Purpose To determine whether radiation therapy department administrators prefer to hire graduates with certain types of educational preparation. The study was undertaken by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists as part of a larger project to determine educational requirements for radiation therapists. Methods and materials Forty-one department administrators evaluated applications from a pool of 984 hypothetical applicants for the position of radiation therapist. Applications were created by systematically varying eight characteristics such as years of experience, quality of educational program, and ratings from prior references. Type of educational program (baccalaureate degree, associate’s degree, or hospital certificate) was of particular interest in this study. Each administrator evaluated 24 applications and assigned a rating ranging from 1 to 5 to indicate the extent to which he or she desired to interview each applicant. All ratings and applicant characteristics were coded and subjected to regression-type analyses to determine the relative importance of each applicant characteristic to administrators’ decision-making policies. Results Information obtained from applicant references had the greatest impact on administrators’ evaluations of applicant quality. Specifically, reference ratings of cooperation and technical skills were the two most important characteristics, followed closely by reference ratings of interpersonal skills and dependability. Quality of educational program had some influence, as did years of experience. Type of educational program had virtually no impact on interview decisions for a vast majority of the administrators. Conclusions When making hiring decisions about hypothetical applicants, department administrators place most emphasis on evidence relating to past performance and give almost no weight to type of educational preparation. The extent to which these results generalize to actual applicants is addressed in the article.

Trends in reproductive, smoking, and other chronic disease risk factors by birth cohort and race in a large occupational study population.

To illustrate the value of cohort studies to assess trends in chronic disease risk factors. In collaboration with the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists and the University of Minnesota, the National Cancer Institute initiated a cohort study of cancer among radiologic technologists. More than 90,000 technologists who responded to a mailed questionnaire were grouped into ten birth cohorts from before 1920 through 1960 and later, and stratified by self-reported racial/ethnic groups. Trends in height, smoking, and reproductive factors were analyzed. Among the trends observed were that the proportion of young men (< 18 years) smoking generally fell in each birth cohort after 1925, whereas the proportion of young women smoking rose for those born after 1950. Among women born since 1940, the mean age at menarche for white women has remained at 12.5 years, but has declined among black and Asian/Pacific Islander women. Recent birth cohorts (since 1955) show among the highest mean ages at birth of first child (> 26 years), highest rates of nulliparity at age 25 (>/= 63 %), and lowest mean parity levels (< or = 1.7) compared with earlier cohorts. Analyses of large cohorts can clarify birth cohort trends in chronic disease risk factors.

The relationship between educational preparation and performance on the ARRT examination in radiation therapy

Purpose: To determine if graduates of different types of educational programs obtain similar scores on the Examination in Radiation Therapy administered by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists. The results will help inform discussions regarding educational requirements for radiation therapists. Methods and Materials: Test scores were obtained for 531 candidates who had taken the examination for the first time in 1997, 1998, or 1999. Candidates were divided into the following three categories, based on the type of educational program attended: hospital-based certificate, associate’s degree, or bachelor’s degree. To determine if test scores were related to the type of educational preparation, analyses of variance were conducted separately to test for differences in total scores and section scores, and scores on test questions intended to measure critical thinking skills. Results: Candidates with an associate’s degree scored slightly lower than candidates with a bachelor’s degree on the total test ( p < 0.10) and lower than candidates with either a certificate or bachelor’s degree on Section B of the examination (Treatment Planning and Delivery, p < 0.10). Baccalaureate candidates did not obtain higher scores than those prepared in certificate programs. On critical thinking questions, candidates with certificates scored higher than those with associate’s degrees ( p < 0.10). Some evidence suggested that candidates with a certificate scored higher on critical thinking than those with a bachelor’s degree ( p < 0.10), and that candidates with a bachelor’s degree scored higher than candidates with an associate’s degree ( p < 0.10). Conclusions: Although some of the differences in the mean test scores among the three educational groups were statistically significant, all differences were small and do not support one type of educational preparation over another.

Trends in reproductive, smoking, and other chronic disease risk factors by birth cohort in a large occupational study

PURPOSE: To illustrate the value of using large cohort studies to identify birth cohort trends in several chronic disease risk factors.METHODS: In collaboration with the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) and the University of Minnesota, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) initiated a cohort study of radiologic technologists who were certified by ARRT for at least two years between 1926 and 1982. Over 90,000 technologists (nearly four-fifths female) from all 50 states responded to a mailed questionnaire on reproductive, medical, work, and lifestyle factors. Ten, mostly five-year, birth cohorts, from before 1920 through 1960 and later, were evaluated.RESULTS: In this population, the mean height of both men and women generally rose in each subsequent birth cohort. The proportion of men who smoked before age 18 fell among those born since the late 1920s. In contrast, the proportion of women smoking before age 18 rose among those born since the early 1950s, reaching 14.2% among those born in 1960 and later. The mean age at menarche fell, until leveling off at 12.5, among those born after 1940. Recent birth cohorts (since 1950) show among the highest mean ages at birth of first child (>26 yeras), highest rates of nulliparity at age 25 (⩾63%), and lowest mean parity levels (⩽1.7), compared with earlier birth cohorts. The proportion of women ever using oral contraceptives rose steadily by birth cohort, reaching 86 percent in the most recent birth cohort.CONCLUSIONS: Some of the trends observed may help explain historic chronic disease incidence patterns and predict future disease burdens.

Mortality among radiologic technologists in the united states (1926–1997): 2nd Follow up

PURPOSE: To evaluate risk for all-cause and cause-specific mortality in a large, primarily female (73%) cohort of radiologic technologists.METHODS: The study consists of 145,915 radiation technologists, certified in the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (1926–1982) and followed through 1997. Causes of death were obtained from death certificates or, more recently, through NDI Plus. Standardized Mortality Ratios (SMR) were computed and tests of homogeneity were performed to detect differences in mortality among causes. Poisson models were used to estimate risks using an internal comparison group.RESULTS: Significantly low SMRs were observed for all causes (0.76), all cancers (0.82), and diseases of circulatory system (0.69). Compared to U.S. women, the risk for breast cancer mortality bordered around unity (SMR 1.01, 95% CI 0.94–1.09). However, relative to all other cancers, breast cancer mortality was significantly increased (RSMR 1.24, p < 0.01). Elevated risk for breast cancer was associated with certification before 1940 (SMR 1.55, 95% CI 1.24–1.91), and duration of certification of 20-29 (SMR 1.21, 95% CI 1.06–1.37) and 30+ years (SMR 1.77, 95% CI 1.54–2.02). A 35% increase in leukemia risk was evident for women certified for a duration of 20–29 years and a 36% increase among women certified for 30+ years. Poisson analysis revealed a significant increase in breast cancer risk with increasing number of years certified among women first certified before 1940 (p < 0.001) and during 1940–49 (p = 0.05) compared to women first certified in 1950 or later.CONCLUSIONS: Preliminary findings of this study suggest increased breast cancer risk associated with occupational radiation exposures prior to 1950 and with long-term cumulative exposures. However, potential confounding by reproductive and other risk factors needs to be evaluated.

Mortality among United States radiologic technologists, 1926-90.

The possible mortality risk from low level chronic exposures to ionizing radiation was evaluated among 143,517 United States radiologic technologists certified by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists between 1926-80. This is one of the few occupational studies of primarily women (73 percent) exposed to radiation during their employment. More than 2.8 million person-years of follow-up were accrued through 1990, and 7,345 deaths were identified. A strong healthy-worker effect was observed (standardized mortality ratios [SMR] for all causes and all cancers were 0.69 and 0.79, respectively). Lung cancer (429 deaths) was not increased with available measures of radiation exposure and no significant associations were observed for acute, myelogenous, and monocytic leukemia (74 deaths). Relative to the general population, the standardized mortality ratio (SMR) for female breast cancer was 0.99 (based on 425 deaths); however, breast cancer was significantly elevated relative to all other cancers in a test of homogeneity of SMRs (ratio of SMRs = 1.3, P < 0.0001). Significant risks were correlated with employment before 1940 (SMR = 1.5; 95 percent confidence interval [CI] = 1.2-1.9), when radiation doses were likely highest, and among women certified for more than 30 years (SMR = 1.4, CI = 1.2-1.7) for whom the cumulative exposure was likely greatest. Using an internal referent group, risk increased with duration of certification among the 1,890 women certified before 1940 (P-trend < 0.001). While the findings for breast cancer are consistent with a radiation effect, possible misclassification in exposure (based on number of years certified) and potential confounding associated with reproductive histories preclude a causal conclusion.

Breast Cancer Among Radiologic Technologists

To evaluate the risk of breast cancer among women occupationally exposed to ionizing radiation. Case-control study. A health survey of 105,385 women radiologic technologists certified by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists since 1926. Among 79,016 respondents, 600 breast cancer cases were identified. Each of 528 eligible subjects with breast cancer was matched to five control subjects based on age, year of certification, and follow-up time. Relative risk (RR) estimated as the relative odds ratio for breast cancer over categories of years worked as a radiologic technologist and according to personal and occupational exposure characteristics. Study subjects had been certified for a mean of 29 years; 63.8% of cases and 62.6% of controls worked as radiologic technologists for 10 years or more. Significant increased risks for breast cancer were associated with early age at menarche (for < 11 years of age: RR = 1.79; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.09 to 2.94), nulliparity (RR = 1.36; 95% CI, 1.04 to 1.78), first-degree relative with history of breast cancer (RR = 2.07; 95% CI, 1.56 to 2.74), prior breast biopsy (RR = 1.53; 95% CI, 1.17 to 2.00), alcohol consumption (for > 14 alcoholic drinks per week: RR = 2.12; 95% CI, 1.06 to 4.27), thyroid cancer (RR = 5.36; 95% CI, 1.64 to 17.5), hyperthyroidism (RR = 1.66; 95% CI, 1.02 to 2.71), and residence in the northeastern United States (RR = 1.66; 95% CI, 1.19 to 2.30). Jobs involving radiotherapy, radioisotopes, or fluoroscopic equipment, however, were not linked to breast cancer risk, nor were personal exposures to fluoroscopy or multifilm procedures. Use of birth control pills, postmenopausal estrogens, or permanent hair dyes also were not risk factors. Based on dosimetry records for 35% of study subjects, cumulative exposures appeared low. Among women who worked more than 20 years, the RR for breast cancer was 1.13 (95% CI, 0.79 to 1.64). More than 50% of the reported breast cancers could be explained by established risk factors. Employment as a radiologic technologist, however, was not found to increase the risk of breast cancer. The contribution of prolonged exposure to relatively low doses of ionizing radiation to breast cancer risk was too small to be detectable at this time.