RADIOGRAPHY SCIENCE IN THE NEW MILLENNIUM Intro

According to Akroyd and Wold (1998) radiography may well be the fastest technically advancing field in medicine today due to computer enhancement and other technological developments. In most hospitals and other medical centers, radiographers are highly skilled health professionals who work closely with physicians specializing in the use of xrays.

Radiographers also provide patient services using a variety of imaging modalities. For example, in addition to conventional xray procedures, the radiographer also works with computerized axial tomography, magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasound. The radiographer must apply the principles of radiation protection, use and be competent in the maintenance of delicate and complicated equipment and often deal with patients who are under stress. There are also industrial applications of radiography such as examining manufactured goods for internal flaws without damaging the product.

In a discussion of the role of radiography in the next millennium, Carr and Fell (1997) state that radiographers are more than adequately prepared for the rapidly changing future, but precisely what changes can the future be expected to bring in radiography science? The purpose of this paper is to examine some of the possible innovations that can be expected to take place in radiography.

The new millennium can be expected to see diverse changes and expan

. . .
/Expansions in Radiographers' Professional Roles Hogg, Williams and Norton (1997) state that the new millennium will see a much expanded role for radiographers working in nuclear medicine--roles for which they may not be properly prepared. In this regard, the authors report that for a number of years it was recognized that nuclear medicine radiographers have been developing their professional responsibilities in areas in which they have had no formal preparation. To investigate the scope of practice, the authors undertook a survey using a convenience sample of 50 nuclear medicine departments located in England and Wales. The results were said to confirm that a number of extended roles were routinely practiced. For example, 92 percent of respondents said they performed image data analysis, and a relatively high percentage performed quality control of equipment (80 percent) and administration of radiopharmaceuticals (74 percent). By contrast, radiographers were least likely to be involved with individual reporting of images (8 percent) or laboratory work (14 percent), as these duties are traditionally undertaken by other staff groups. The results also showed that the majority of respondents (70 percent) had less than five
. . .

Some common words found in the essay are:
International Incorporated, Society Radiographers, Carr Fell, Williams Norton, Murray Tripp, DISH X-linked, Indeed Seeger, Zametkin Liotta, Akroyd Wold, England Wales, nuclear medicine, rapidly changing, carr fell, document available, computer radiography, women's imaging, carr fell 1997, radiographers nuclear, radiography science, fell 1997, future radiography, williams norton 1997, hogg williams norton, direct digital radiography, women's imaging fellowships,
Approximate Word count = 2740
Approximate Pages = 11 (250 words per page)