Radiol Technol. 2020 Jan;91(3):240-248.
To evaluate medical imaging and radiation therapy professionals' perceptions of conducting research.
Using a descriptive survey approach, a random sample of 10 000 American Society of Radiologic Technologists (ASRT) members was invited to share their experiences with conducting research, including challenges, reasons for not engaging in research, potential motivators, and support measures that would enhance their ability to conduct research in the medical imaging and radiation therapy profession. Three hundred ninety completed responses were analyzed for this study.
The majority (284, 72.8%) of the participants had no knowledge of or were slightly knowledgeable of the research process, and more than 75% of the participants did not feel prepared or felt they were only slightly prepared to conduct research. However, 257 (65.9%) of the participants believed it was very important to conduct research to advance the medical imaging and radiation therapy profession. Eighty-eight participants who indicated that they had conducted research named collecting data (34, 38.6%) and analyzing the results (20, 22.7%) as their greatest barriers. Participants who had not conducted research (302, 77.4%) said that the main reason was because it was not required in their current position (193, 63.9%). More than half of participants indicated that having time allocated to conduct research, conducting research with an experienced individual, collaborating with a research mentor, and attending continuing education were support measures that might enable them to conduct research.
It is essential that medical imaging and radiation therapy professionals be aware of the importance of conducting research and participating in scholarly activities so that the profession can advance as a distinct allied health discipline. Opportunities to increase or improve research endeavors in the profession include encouraging professionals to publish and present their research results, allocating time and resources to conduct research, and providing research mentorships.
Increasing or improving the research being conducted among medical imaging technologists and radiation therapists and making such endeavors a priority can advance the profession and lead to better service to patients.
评估医学影像和放射治疗专业人员对开展研究的看法。
采用描述性调查方法，随机抽取 10000 名美国放射技师学会（ASRT）成员作为样本，邀请他们分享开展研究的经验，包括挑战、不参与研究的原因、潜在的激励因素以及增强他们在医学影像和放射治疗专业开展研究能力的支持措施。对 390 份完成的回复进行了分析。
大多数（284，72.8%）参与者对研究过程知之甚少或略知一二，超过 75%的参与者觉得自己没有准备好，或者觉得自己只有一点准备。然而，257（65.9%）名参与者认为开展研究对于推进医学影像和放射治疗专业非常重要。88 名表示自己开展过研究的参与者表示，收集数据（34 名，38.6%）和分析结果（20 名，22.7%）是他们面临的最大障碍。没有开展过研究的 302 名参与者（77.4%）表示，主要原因是他们目前的职位不需要开展研究（193 名，63.9%）。超过一半的参与者表示，分配时间开展研究、与经验丰富的人一起开展研究、与研究导师合作以及参加继续教育是可能使他们能够开展研究的支持措施。
医学影像和放射治疗专业人员必须意识到开展研究和参与学术活动的重要性，以便该专业作为一个独特的辅助健康学科向前发展。增加或改善该专业研究工作的机会包括鼓励专业人员发表和展示他们的研究成果、分配时间和资源开展研究以及提供研究指导。
增加或改善医学影像技师和放射治疗师的研究工作，并将这些努力作为优先事项，可以促进该专业的发展，并为患者提供更好的服务。
