Radiology Education Research Articles

Radiology Without Borders: Identifying Global Reach of Radiology Social Media in Africa

ObjectiveTo examine our website and social media audience data to define the number of African users and review the effects of COVID-19 on our viewership from Africa, and look ahead to potential opportunities. MethodsGoogle Analytics was used to investigate the number of CTisus.com users from Africa across a three-year period: April 2018-March 2019, April 2019-March 2020, and April 2020-March 2021. The percent difference between 18/19 – 19/20 and 19/20 – 20/21 was identified. Each country was categorized into North, South, East, West, or Central Africa, based on the United Nations Statistical Division, and the percent difference was calculated for all five regions. The number of followers of our YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter channels in each African country was also analyzed, again classifying each country into regions. ResultsForty-six of the fifty-four countries in Africa, and all four territories, accessed CTisus.com between April 2018 to March 2021. Northern Africa represented 49.87% of our website visits from all African countries. Southern Africa constituted 18.84% of our traffic and Eastern Africa 18.60%, while Western and Central Africa provided 11.90% and 0.79%, respectively. We found a 27% increase in website traffic from Africa between a non-COVID year and a complete pandemic year. Facebook statistics revealed that 20,782 likes to our page came from Africa, and 20,987 of our followers. Similarly, 15,391 of our YouTube views and 728 of our Twitter followers came from Africa. ConclusionWe have been successful in achieving a 27% increase in website traffic from Africa to our radiology social media offerings. This increase since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic is encouraging, especially when noting that we do not have any paid advertising. We look forward to reaching a larger African audience to deliver radiology education in the future.

Fused filament fabrication of complex anatomical phantoms with infill-tunable image contrast

Fused filament fabrication (FFF) provides a rapid means of producing anatomical models for biomedical education and training. However, FFF-compatible materials and methods are currently limited for efficient and accurate production of complex phantoms that can mimic the radiological properties of multiple human tissues. It is demonstrated in this research that the computed tomography (CT) contrast can be modified by varying the concentration of bismuth oxide in acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) filaments and by modifying the infill percentage of the printed models. By using an infill geometry consisting of an encapsulated pore structure, the CT contrast of fat, blood, kidney, liver, trabecular bone, and cortical bone could be successfully displayed without the presence of any artificial artefacts in the images. In addition, a lumbar spine phantom is printed with the infill varied throughout the model to accurately mimic the CT contrast for the trabecular and cortical bone volumes. This research is of particular relevance for FFF-printing of anatomical models for radiology education and image-guided surgical training.

Anatomy education in US Medical Schools: before, during, and beyond COVID-19

BackgroundAnatomy education in US medical schools has seen numerous changes since the call for medical education reform in 2010. The purpose of this study was to survey US medical schools to assess recent trends in anatomy education, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on anatomy teaching, and future directions of medical school anatomy curricula.MethodsWe sent a 29-item survey to anatomy course directors of 145 AAMC-associated allopathic medical schools inquiring about their schools’ anatomy curricula. The survey contained objective discrete questions concerning the curricula changes preceding COVID-19 and those directly related to COVID-19. We also asked subjective and open-ended questions about the impact of COVID-19 and future directions of anatomy education.ResultsA total of 117/143 course directors (82%) completed the survey. Most schools (60%) reported a major change to their anatomy course within the past five years, including a decrease in total course time (20%), integration of anatomy into other courses (19%), and implementation of a “flipped classroom” (15%) teaching style. Due to COVID-19, there was a decrease in the fraction of course time dedicated to “hands-on” learning (p < 0.01) and teaching of clinical correlates (p = 0.02) and radiology (p < 0.01). Most course directors (79%) reported that COVID-19 had a negative impact on quality of learning due to decreased interactive or in-person (62%) learning and lack of dissection (44%). Incorporation of virtual-reality applications or 3D anatomy software (23%) and a decrease in cadaver dissection (13%) were the most common future anticipated changes.ConclusionThe constraints conferred by COVID-19 highlight the importance of maximizing interactive learning in the discipline of anatomy. In an era of social distancing and decreased emphasis on conventional anatomy dissection, adaptations of new technologies and teaching modalities may allow for traditional educational rigor to be sustained.

Gamification in Radiology Training Module Developed During the Society for Imaging Informatics in Medicine Annual Meeting Hackathon.

The purpose of this manuscript is to report our experience in the 2021 SIIM Virtual Hackathon, where we developed a proof-of-concept of a radiology training module with elements of gamification. In the 50h allotted in the hackathon, we proposed an idea, connected with colleagues from five different countries, and completed an operational proof-of-concept, which was demonstrated live at the hackathon showcase, competing with eight other teams. Our prototype involved participants annotating publicly available chest radiographs of patients with tuberculosis. We showed how we could give experience points to trainees based on annotation precision compared to ground truth radiologists' annotation, ranked in a live leaderboard. We believe that gamification elements could provide an engaging solution for radiology education. Our project was awarded first place out of eight participating hackathon teams.

Integration of Art Into Radiological Societies & Educational Conferences: Early Experiences of the 2021 ACR Art Task Force

Interest in incorporating art into radiology has been growing in recent years. Radiological societies have begun to acknowledge the benefits art can bring to our field. Given this growing interest, a task force was created in 2021 to carry out integration of the arts into the annual American College of Radiology (ACR) meeting. Experiences of this task force are described, including consideration of benefits of integrating art in radiology practice and education as well as strategies, outcomes, and future directions for melding arts with radiology.

Facebook Live: One Year of Traditional Discussions vs. Case Conferences

Facebook Live is one of Facebook's most successful modes for transmitting audio and video content. For almost five years, we have used Facebook Live to reach our followers to discuss miscellaneous radiology topics on our Facebook page, CTisus. The videos show us, and sometimes others, discussing a range of topics related to radiology. Topics include "Adrenal Masses," "Preventing Misdiagnosis," and "The Use of CT in Cancer Screening." Unrelatedly, we started hosting remote case conference meetings for the faculty in our radiology department soon after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, with an aim to help faculty learn while maintaining a sense of community during this new era of heavy remote work after having held these conferences in person for nearly 15 years. During the case conferences, we show approximately 3-6 slide pairs for each case and quiz the faculty on the diagnosis. In December 2020, we decided to merge the two practices and host additional case conferences each month on Facebook Live via Zoom. We theorized that this would give our followers a better sense of community while teaching and reviewing diagnostic cases. Our goal was to increase engagement with our users. Here, we compare these methods of education in terms of popularity with our users and make recommendations to radiology education peers for using images in their live videos to create content more applicable to viewers.

Trauma radiology teaching for foundation doctors working within the Scottish Trauma Network improves radiology requests and patient safety: a multidepartmental quality improvement project

The importance of radiology in trauma management is particularly relevant today as Scotland develops its Scottish Trauma Network. Trauma and radiology are scarcely covered in the 2016 and 2021 Foundation...

Trauma radiology teaching for foundation doctors working within the Scottish Trauma Network improves radiology requests and patient safety: a multidepartmental quality improvement project.

The importance of radiology in trauma management is particularly relevant today as Scotland develops its Scottish Trauma Network. Trauma and radiology are scarcely covered in the 2016 and 2021 Foundation Programme Curriculum. Trauma is a significant and endemic public health challenge, while radiology is ever growing in use as a diagnostic and interventional tool. Currently, the majority of radiological investigation requests in trauma are made by foundation doctors. Accordingly, there is an urgent need to ensure foundation doctors are adequately trained in trauma radiology. This prospective, multidepartmental quality improvement project at a single major trauma centre primarily analysed the impact of trauma radiology teaching on the quality of foundation doctors' radiology requests according to Ionising Radiation Medical Exposure Regulations (IRMER) criteria. As a secondary outcome, the impact of teaching on patient safety was also evaluated. 50 foundation doctors across three departments dealing with trauma patients had their trauma radiology requests analysed before and after the intervention of trauma-focused radiology teaching. Results showed cancelled and altered radiology requests decreased from 20% to 5% and from 25% to 10%, respectively, with a p value of 0.01. This translated to fewer delays in trauma patients receiving radiological investigations. The foundation curriculum would benefit from the introduction of trauma radiology teaching for its foundation doctors, in parallel to the demands of a growing national trauma network. Education globally improves radiology request quality by raising awareness and respect of IRMER criteria and ultimately leads to positive changes for patient safety.

Self-Efficacy and Student Satisfaction in a Clinical-Year Diagnostic Imaging Course Using an Online Instruction Format.

Accurate interpretation of radiographic images is critical to diagnosing clinical patients. Remote instruction in radiology has become more common at veterinary colleges as academic institutions struggle to fill open veterinary radiologist positions and as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study sought to gather the feedback of fourth-year veterinary students via pre- and post-study surveys (n = 45) and focus groups (n = 7) about a newly implemented 2-week long radiology rotation. Ninety-eight percent of students reported having taken an online course before, and on both pre- and post-study surveys, students commonly reported feeling interested, determined, and attentive. On average, students reported that they were neither more nor less engaged than they would have been in an in-person course and that they understood the material neither better nor worse than they would have in an in-person course. Students reported that the key to their success was primarily hard work; secondarily, instructor availability and student ability were important. Students did not rate luck as having much influence on their success. Although diagnostic imaging can be a challenging subject to master, students effectively learned this subject through online instruction. They provided feedback for the course's continued improvement; their comments centered around improved interactivity, including providing automated quiz questions' answers and increased instructor availability. Data collected in this study will help to guide further development of the radiology course.

The ADVICER Template for Faculty Reviewer Letters for Promotion and Appointment

Promotion is an important milestone in the career of academic radiologists. Appointments, Promotion and Tenure (APT) committees require multiple letters of support from both internal and external referees. Traditional narrative letters are highly subjective, have high inter-reader variability, are time-intensive, and vulnerable to gender and other biases. The Alliance of Directors and Vice Chairs of Education in Radiology (ADVICER) recognized the need for a standardized template to assist academic faculty, letter writers, and APT committees. An ADVICER ad hoc committee of six educators with experience serving as external referees was convened to create a standardized template. Committee members performed a search of the relevant literature and internet sites, spoke with stakeholders such as APT chairs, and ultimately developed a template for faculty reviewer letters using the common clinician-educator pathway as a focal point. An open source, modifiable, standardized, template was produced. The template has been made available to ADVICER members and is available on the Association of University Radiologists (AUR) website at: https://www.aur.org/resources/Template-for-Faculty-Reviewer-Letters-for-Promotion-and-Appointment CONCLUSION: This external referee template has the potential to reduce subjectivity, eliminate bias, and provide a flexible, modifiable, comprehensive faculty review letter template which will be useful for academic faculty, letter writers, and promotions committees.

The Radiology Scholars Certificate Program: A Medical Education Learning Tool

The Radiology Scholars Certificate Program (RSCP) is an extracurricular program created for preclinical medical students to address disparities in radiology education and exposure during medical school. The RSCP was designed as a year-long program for first- and second-year medical students. The 4 key components of the RSCP are: Exposure to radiology through shadowing, knowledge acquisition through self-paced case-based learning modules, knowledge application in interactive workshops, and completion of a scholarly project. Students are required to complete at least 3 hours of shadowing, attend at least 3 workshops, complete self-paced online modules, and complete a capstone project on a topic of their choosing. Pre- and post-program surveys were administered to assess trends in participants' perception of the field and imaging-related clinical knowledge. In the first year of the RSCP, 55% of the matriculating class enrolled and of those, 84% completed the program. Approximately half of participants were female. Participants demonstrated significant improvement in radiology knowledge, with average scores improving from 52.8% to 68.6% (p < .001) on the knowledge-related survey questions. Significant improvements were also observed in student-reported confidence with ordering and interpreting imaging studies and in their perceptions of the field. The RSCP is an effective tool for addressing deficits in radiology education and exposure during medical school. It is designed to be run by senior medical students under radiology resident and attending supervision. With motivated student and radiologist investment, the RSCP should be easily replicable in medical training programs worldwide.

Patient-Centered, Case-Based Education in Radiology: an Interactive Module Following a Patient Through Their Disease Course from an Imaging Perspective.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40670-021-01441-5.

Conference Attendance Tracking and Evaluation in the Era of Virtual Conferences

Rationale and ObjectivesThe coronavirus pandemic upended in-person radiology education and led to a transition to virtual platforms. We needed a new method to monitor lecture attendance, previously relying on a physical badge system. Our goal was to develop and implement a virtual conference attendance system that is user-friendly, automated, useable in any virtual conference environment, and accurate.Materials and MethodsWe developed a web-based platform to serve as a virtual conference attendance tracking and evaluation platform. Daily, the application synchronizes with our lecture calendar to identify scheduled conferences and generates a unique attendance link for each event. The link is automatically posted in the conference chat and attendees must be logged in by the time it is posted to click the link, prompting single sign-on authentication. We integrated the system with resident schedules to excuse residents when appropriate. Real-time attendance reports are accessible in a user-friendly dashboard with a 5-star lecture review and comment system. We surveyed residents on satisfaction with the application after 1-year of use.ResultsOver the 2020–2021 academic year, we registered 376 conferences with 5,040 virtual swipes from 65 users. Once set up, virtual swipes take seconds to perform with minimal disruption to the conference. Average satisfaction for the platform was rated as 4.69 on a scale of 1 to 5. All respondents agreed or strongly agreed that use of the platform should be continued for future years, with 85% strongly agreeing.Conclusion: We developed an online platform for radiology conference attendance logging and evaluation, designed for virtual conferences.

Using Facebook Live and Zoom as Tools for Online Radiology Education: A Practical Guide

In early 2020, the rapid spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) began to shake the world. As the resulting pandemic, quickly dubbed COVID-19, unfolded, we learned to enact public health safety measures to reduce or prevent its spread, particularly “social distancing,” an expression once alien but now understood all too well. Consequently, many sought online resources when they would have previously accessed them in person. We have used Facebook Live for several years to discuss radiology topics and, on occasion, interview experts in the medical field and beyond. Much like live television, Facebook Live enables creators like us to share videos with followers in real time. Unlike live television, Facebook Live allows viewers to leave comments and questions in real time, rendering the platform much more interactive. Because Facebook Live has been a helpful tool for us to speak to radiology students and professionals around the world, we looked for another way to continue our interviews on Facebook Live while maintaining social distancing. We have managed to continue our interviews while socially distanced using the video communications software Zoom. With an increasing number of people migrating to online technology, the widespread use of social media for radiology education is imminent. We encourage others to consider mixing Facebook Live and Zoom to create more holistic educational experiences for radiology in the digital world. The COVID-19 pandemic has taught us that life can change unexpectedly and quickly, but online education is here to stay.

Impact of COVID-19 on Radiology Trainee Safety, Education, and Wellness: Challenges Experienced and Proposed Solutions for the Future.

Impact of COVID-19 on Radiology Trainee Safety, Education, and Wellness: Challenges Experienced and Proposed Solutions for the Future.

Teaching radiology in Egyptian medical schools: Where do we stand and how can we start?

BackgroundRadiology serves in the diagnosis and management of many diseases. Despite its rising importance and use, radiology is not a core component of a lot of medical school curricula. This survey aims to clarify current gaps in the radiological education in Egyptian medical schools. In February–May 2021, 5318 students enrolled in Egyptian medical schools were recruited and given a 20-multiple-choice-question survey assessing their radiology knowledge, radiograph interpretation, and encountered imaging experiences. We measured the objective parameters as a percentage. We conducted descriptive analysis and used Likert scales where values were represented as numerical values. Percentages were graphed afterwards.ResultsA total of 5318 medical students in Egypt answered our survey. Gender distribution was 45% males and 54% females. The results represented all 7 class years of medical school (six academic years and a final training year). In assessing students’ knowledge of radiology, most students (75%) reported that they received ‘too little’ education, while 20% stated the amount was ‘just right’ and only 4% reported it was ‘too much.’ Sixty-two percent of students stated they were taught radiology through medical imaging lectures. Participants’ future career plans were almost equally distributed. Near half of participants (43%) have not heard about the American College of Radiology Appropriateness Criteria (ACR-AR), while 39% have heard about it but are not familiar with.ConclusionsRadiology is a novel underestimated field. Therefore, medical students need more imaging exposure. To accomplish this, attention and efforts should be directed toward undergraduate radiology education to dissolve the gap between radiology and other specialties during clinical practice. A survey answered by medical students can bridge between presence of any current defect in undergraduate radiology teaching and future solutions for this topic.

Current Status of Radiology Education Online: a Comprehensive Update.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate various online resources available for radiology education. An online search was conducted using PubMed (National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD) and Google Scholar for publications discussing the applications of online learning in radiology. The search strategy employed a combination of the following terms: radiology, web-based conferencing, radiology education seminars, radiology education online, radiology education programs, online lectures, radiology residency, radiology degree, Radiology-Integrated Training Initiative (R-ITI) e-learning platform, UTAUT, Moodle, active image-based learning, Video conference platforms (VCPs), education, undergraduate, medical students, teaching, virtual learning, blended learning, e-learning, COVID-19, pandemic, OER, open education resources, online learning, course assets, accessibility, 5G Internet, game-based learning, radiology competition, and virtual world. The literature published was reviewed and consolidated. Data from the literature shows that radiology education online and radiology education seminars are undergoing a revolution due to advancements in computers, online software, and 5G Internet speed. The pace of this development has accelerated even further due to the COVID-19 pandemic and thus forced distance online education. Various technologies are available and are being implemented by residency programs across the world to improve radiology education, making it more interactive and safer in this pandemic. Online learning has become an integral part of education in radiology, with new facets being added to it.

Radiology in the Undergraduate Medical Curriculum: The Student Perspective

Objective: Despite the importance of radiology in the diagnosis and management of patients, studies suggest that medical graduates exhibit a minimal level of radiology knowledge. This study aimed to assess the satisfaction of Kuwait’s medical students with the radiology teaching and their confidence in their knowledge regarding basic radiological principles, as well as their views and suggestions for adequate teaching time and pattern of radiology teaching at the undergraduate level. Subjects and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among medical students in Kuwait University. The study employed a questionnaire, which aimed to assess the students’ perception of the current radiological teaching approach. Ethical approval was obtained, and descriptive analysis was conducted using SPSS. Results: Ninety-one percent of the 451 participants believed that the radiologist is an important part of the medical team. Ninety-seven percent of them believed that having a grasp of general radiological concepts is essential for clinical practice. More than half of the participants (55%) believed that the amount of radiology teaching they receive is inadequate. Most students claimed to lack the radiological skills that a competent doctor should own, such as reading X-rays, CTs, and MRIs. Most students chose hospital-based and problem-based learning sessions as their most desired methods for radiology learning. Conclusion: Radiology is an essential part of modern medicine. Adequate exposure to radiological techniques and adequate time to radiological teaching must be allocated to students during their undergraduate medical curriculum to improve the proper management of patients.

A qualitative study to explore opinions of Saudi Arabian radiologists concerning AI-based applications and their impact on the future of the radiology.

Objective:The aim of this study was to explore opinions and views towards radiology AI among Saudi Arabian radiologists including both consultants and trainees.Methods:A qualitative approach was adopted, with radiologists working in radiology departments in the Western region of Saudi Arabia invited to participate in this interview-based study. Semi-structured interviews (n = 30) were conducted with consultant radiologists and trainees. A qualitative data analysis framework was used based on Miles and Huberman’s philosophical underpinnings.Results:Several factors, such as lack of training and support, were attributed to the non-use of AI-based applications in clinical practice and the absence of radiologists’ involvement in AI development. Despite the expected benefits and positive impacts of AI on radiology, a reluctance to use AI-based applications might exist due to a lack of knowledge, fear of error and concerns about losing jobs and/or power. Medical students’ radiology education and training appeared to be influenced by the absence of a governing body and training programmes.Conclusion:The results of this study support the establishment of a governing body or national association to work in parallel with universities in monitoring training and integrating AI into the medical education curriculum and residency programmes.Advances in knowledge:An extensive debate about AI-based applications and their potential effects was noted, and considerable exceptions of transformative impact may occur when AI is fully integrated into clinical practice. Therefore, future education and training programmes on how to work with AI-based applications in clinical practice may be recommended.

Expanding our concept of simulation in radiology: a "Radiology Requesting" session for undergraduate medical students.

Whilst radiology is central to the modern practice of medicine, graduating doctors often feel unprepared for radiology in practice. Traditional radiological education focuses on image interpretation. Key areas which are undertaught include communication skills relating to the radiology department. We sought to design teaching to fill this important gap. We developed a small group session using in situ simulation to enable final and penultimate year medical students to develop radiology-related communication and reasoning skills. Students were given realistic cases, and then challenged to gather further information and decide on appropriate radiology before having the opportunity to call a consultant radiologist on a hospital phone and simulate requesting the appropriate imaging with high fidelity. We evaluated the impact of the teaching through before-and-after Likert scales asking students about their confidence with various aspects of requesting imaging, and qualitatively through open-ended short answer questionnaires. The session was delivered to 99 students over 24 sessions. Self-reported confidence in discussing imaging increased from an average of 1.7/5 to 3.4/5 as a result of the teaching (p < 0.001) and students perceived that they had developed key skills in identifying and communicating relevant information. The success of this innovative session suggests that it could form a key part of future undergraduate radiology education, and that the method could be applied in other areas to broaden the application of simulation. This study highlights a gap in undergraduate medical education. It describes and demonstrates the effectiveness of an intervention to fill this gap.