Karera Abel, Davidson Florence, Engel-Hills Penelope
Department of Radiography, School of Allied Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Namibia, Windhoek, Namibia.
Department of Medical Imaging and Therapeutic Sciences, Faculty of Health and Wellness Sciences, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Cape Town, South Africa.
J Med Radiat Sci. 2024 Dec;71(4):564-572. doi: 10.1002/jmrs.815. Epub 2024 Aug 1.
Medical imaging's critical role in diagnosis requires prompt and precise image interpretation. Numerous radiology departments, especially in low-resourced settings, encounter challenges such as a shortage of radiologists in their operational setup. This study explored the perceptions of radiographers and radiologists from low-resourced departments in a single country regarding operational challenges and potential solutions in image interpretation.
A qualitative approach was utilised, involving heads of departments, senior radiographers, and radiologists with a minimum of 5 years of experience, from three major state referral hospitals. Face-to-face, semi-structured interviews were conducted in November 2022, using an interview guide that included questions on the challenges encountered during image interpretation and the proposed solutions. Data analysis was conducted using Atlas.ti version 9.0, following the four-step content analysis method. All participants willingly provided consent to participate in the study.
Ten participants, comprising two radiologists and eight radiographers participated in the study. The research identified three main themes: image interpretation pathways, image interpretation operational challenges and proposed solutions for image interpretation. In addition, a total of 10 subthemes were generated from the three main themes.
The study revealed critical challenges and the need to explore the formal inclusion of radiographers in image interpretation, as a way to improve efficiency. However, a comprehensive assessment of the image interpretation system, encompassing radiographers' knowledge and competence, is recommended for context-specific, empirical-based modifications to enhance service provision.
医学成像在诊断中起着关键作用，这需要迅速且精确的图像解读。许多放射科，尤其是在资源匮乏地区，在其运营设置中面临着诸如放射科医生短缺等挑战。本研究探讨了来自一个国家资源匮乏科室的放射技师和放射科医生对图像解读中的运营挑战及潜在解决方案的看法。
采用定性研究方法，研究对象包括来自三家主要的国家级转诊医院的科室主任、资深放射技师以及至少有5年工作经验的放射科医生。2022年11月进行了面对面的半结构化访谈，使用了一份访谈指南，其中包括关于图像解读过程中遇到的挑战以及提出的解决方案的问题。采用Atlas.ti 9.0版本，按照四步内容分析法进行数据分析。所有参与者均自愿同意参与本研究。
共有10名参与者，包括2名放射科医生和8名放射技师参与了本研究。研究确定了三个主要主题：图像解读路径、图像解读运营挑战以及图像解读的建议解决方案。此外，从这三个主要主题中总共产生了10个子主题。
该研究揭示了关键挑战以及探索正式将放射技师纳入图像解读工作以提高效率的必要性。然而，建议对图像解读系统进行全面评估，包括放射技师的知识和能力，以便根据具体情况进行基于实证的修改，从而改善服务提供。
