This research was conducted to obtain information regarding the feasibility of using non-medical personnel to obtain measurements of radiologic total lung capacity (TLC). Operators from each of four groups (general undergraduates, nursing students, medical students, radiologists) differing in the amount of medical training and/or experience reading x-rays, performed each of two tasks. The first task was the measurement of radiologic TLC for a set of twenty x-rays. The second task consisted of tracing the outline of the anatomical structures that must be identified in the execution of the radiologic TLC measurement task. Data from the radiologic TLC measurement task were used to identify possible group differences in the reliability and validity of the measures. The reliability analyses were performed within the framework of Generalizability Theory. While the results are not conclusive, due to small sample sizes, the analyses suggest that group differences in reliability of the measures, if they exist, are small. The concurrent validity of the measures was assessed by obtaining, for each experience level, the correlation between the group mean radiologic TLC for a film set and the TLC for that patient, obtained from a body plethysmograph. Only small differences in the group correlation coefficients were observed. A liberal test of these differences indicated they were not statistically significant. Additionally, two experience level by film sets ANOVAs were performed to determine possible group differences in how well the actual magnitudes of the radiologic TLC measures approximated those obtained with the body plethysmograph. These analyses indicated that the magnitude of the differences between radiologic and plethysmographic TLC measures were smaller for the undergraduates than for the nursing students and radiologists. Lastly, a number of analyses of the anatomical structure tracings were performed. Few interpretable group differences were found.

Professional development courses that focus on increasing knowledge and improving skill sets are an integral part of a medical imager's career. This study was a qualitative formative evaluation with purposeful sampling of participants in a professional development webinar course offered to medical imaging professionals in 35 Latin American and Caribbean countries. The goal of this study was to aid the agency with identifying areas in which the efficacy of the program implementation and delivery could improve. The conceptual framework model, interest-problem-based learning (INTEREST-PBL) model, and Malcolm Knowles's theory on adult learning were used to ground this project. The research questions focused on the effectiveness of the implementation of the webinars, and the identification of areas of strengths and weaknesses. Data were collected from 7 participants using semi structured interviews and online questionnaires and was analyzed through coding and thematic analysis. Findings suggested that the absence of a formative evaluation during the early stages of implementation and deployment had an impact on the efficacy of the webinar courses. Differentiated learning strategies with clearly defined goals as well as a mechanism for immediate and continued feedback need to be inserted into the webinar design. This study contributes to social change by postulating the use of an evaluation model and pedagogical tools that can assess educational programs for medical imagers that integrate global health policies, technical standards training, and the coordination and collaboration of healthcare partnerships, thus, improving their performance in the delivery of medical imaging examinations while increasing access to quality radiological examinations.

No description available.

Radiologic technologists who transition into the role of clinical instructor are usually expert practitioners but may lack knowledge of best practices regarding student instruction and evaluation. The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to investigate how CIs experience the transition from practitioner to educator and what knowledge or education of best practices of instruction and evaluation they bring to the position. This study consisted of interviews with radiography CIs from one associate degree radiography program in the southeastern part of the United States. While some CIs felt prepared to transition into the CI role, none of them had previously had education regarding instruction. They were provided support as they transitioned, but little formal orientation or training. The results of this study should challenge radiography programs to implement or strengthen current orientation programs for new CIs who are critical to student success.

Orientador: Lúcia Helena Simões da Costa-Paiva / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-18T22:13:15Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Ferreira_NevilledeOliveira_D.pdf: 2260205 bytes, checksum: 4735926d615eaa3b10d11ae68acd6940 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011 / Resumo: Objetivo: Avaliar a prevalência de fratura vertebral, alterações radiológicas, dor nas costas, e associação com qualidade de vida em mulheres com osteoporose pós-menopausa e validar a versão na língua portuguesa do questionário de qualidade de vida QUALEFFO-41 em mulheres brasileiras com fratura vertebral. Métodos: Este estudo coletou dados de 126 mulheres com osteoporose e 43 mulheres sem osteoporose. O estudo de prevalência de fratura vertebral (FV), osteófitos e dor nas costas, foi um corte transversal com o total de 126 mulheres com osteoporose lombar pós-menopausa diagnosticada pela densitometria óssea selecionadas no Ambulatório de Menopausa do CAISM. As mulheres responderam entrevista sobre dados sociodemográficos e clínicos, e o questionário QUALEFFO-41. Todas realizaram radiografia de coluna para pesquisa de alterações radiológicas. Para a análise estatística utilizou-se os testes de Mann-Whitney ou T de Student, testes exato de Fisher ou qui-quadrado e regressão múltipla. O estudo de validação do QUALEFFO-41 foi realizado apenas com 43 com FV por osteoporose (grupo fratura) e 43 sem osteoporose (grupo controle), pareadas por idade (±3 anos). Foram aplicados o QUALEFFO-41 e o SF-36 (comparação teste-reteste). Calculou-se o coeficiente ? de Cronbach, coeficiente de Correlação Intraclasse, coeficiente Kappa (k), Odds ratio e curva ROC. Resultados: Os resultados foram apresentados em três artigos. No primeiro artigo, a prevalência de FV nas 126 mulheres foi de 34,1% e o tipo de FV mais prevalente foi a triangular anterior (45,9%). Não houve diferença na qualidade de vida (QV) entre as mulheres com osteoporose com e sem FV, porém o maior número de fraturas associou-se a pior QV. Os fatores associados à pior QV foram cor da pele não branca, obesidade, ausência de trabalho remunerado, sedentarismo, baixa escolaridade e não uso de medicação para osteoporose. No segundo artigo sobre prevalência de alterações radiológicas e dor nas costas, a prevalência de FV foi de 34,1 % e de osteófitos de 92,1%. A prevalência de dor nas costas foi de 66,7% e observou-se associação entre a dor nas costas com a presença de osteófitos (p=0,0157) e pior QV. No terceiro artigo de validação do QUALEFFO-41, o coeficiente ? de Cronbach dos domínios variou entre 0,74 e 0,84; o ICC dos domínios variou entre 0,67 e 0,90; a maioria das questões apresentou um coeficiente k maior do que 0,50 e demonstrou boa validade convergente e discriminante. As mulheres do grupo FV apresentaram comprometimento na QV em ambos os questionários (p<0,05) e houve boa correlação entre os domínios do QUALEFFO-41 e os seus correspondentes do SF-36, exceto para Função Social. A avaliação pela curva ROC e regressão logística demonstrou que todos os domínios do QUALEFFO-41 foram significativamente preditivos de FV. Conclusão: A prevalência de FV por osteoporose foi alta, com comprometimento na QV independente da FV. Também houve uma alta prevalência de dor nas costas associada à presença de osteófitos e pior QV. O QUALEFFO-41 na língua portuguesa pode ser utilizado em mulheres brasileiras com FV por osteoporose, pois mostrou ter boas características psicométricas, demonstrando comprometimento na QV e boa capacidade de discriminar a QV em mulheres com FV / Abstract: Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of vertebral fractures, radiographic abnormalities, back pain, and association with quality of life in women with postmenopausal osteoporosis, and to validate the Portuguese version of the quality of life QUALEFFO-41 questionnaire in Brazilian women with osteoporosis vertebral fractures. Methods: This study was conducted with a total of 126 women with osteoporosis and 43 women without osteoporosis. The study of the prevalence of vertebral fractures (VF), osteophytes and back pain, was a cross sectional study with a total of 126 postmenopausal women, with lumbar osteoporosis diagnosed by bone densitometry, selected from the Menopause Outpatient Clinic of the Women's Integrated Healthcare Center (CAISM). The women were interviewed about sociodemographic/clinical data and the QUALEFFO-41 questionnaire. Lumbar spine radiograph was performed in all participants to study radiographic abnormalities. The statistical analysis was performed by the Mann-Whitney or Student's T-test, Fisher's Exact or Chi-square, and multiple regression. The QUALEFFO-41 validation study was conducted with only 43 women with osteoporosis VF (fracture group) and 43 women without osteoporosis (control group), age-matched (±3 years). The QUALEFFO-41 questionnaire was administered twice in four weeks and compared to SF-36 (testretest). For analysis were calculated the Cronbach's ? Coefficient, the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient, the Kappa's Coefficient, Odds ratio and ROC curve. Results: The results were presented in three articles. In the first, the prevalence of VF in the 126 women was 34,1% and the most prevalent type of VF was anterior wedge (45.9%). No difference was observed in the quality of life (QOL) between women with osteoporosis with and without VF, although there was direct correlation between number of VF and worse QOL. Factors associated with worse QOL were non-white skin color, obesity, no paid job, sedentary lifestyle, low level of school education and non-use of osteoporosis drugs. In the second article about prevalence of radiographic abnormalities and back pain, the prevalence of VF was 34,1 % and of 92,1% to osteophytes. Back pain in the last four weeks was prevalent in 66.7% of women and it was observed a association between back pain with osteophytes presence (p=0,0157) and worse QOL. In the third article of validation of QUALEFFO-41, the Cronbach's ? coefficient of the domains ranged between 0,74 and 0,84; the ICC of the domains ranged between 0,67 and 0,90; the majority of questions showed a k coefficient higher than 0,50 and demonstrated good convergent validity and discriminant validity. The group of women with VF showed impairment in the QOL in both questionnaires (p<0,05) and there was a good correlation among the QUALEFFO-41 domains and their corresponding SF- 36 domains, except for Social Function. All QUALEFFO-41 domains were significantly predictive of VF on assessment of the ROC curve. Conclusion: The prevalence of osteoporosis VF was high, with impairment of the QOL independent of VF. There is also a high prevalence of back pain associated with osteophytes and worse QOL. The Portuguese version of the QUALEFFO-41 may be used in Brazilian women with osteoporosis VF because it shows good psychometric characteristics, the impairment of the QOL and good ability to discriminate QOL in women with osteoporosis VF / Doutorado / Fisiopatologia Ginecológica / Doutor em Ciências da Saúde

The purpose of this study was primarily to explore the conceptualization of critical thinking development in radiologic science students by radiography program directors. Seven research questions framed three overriding themes including 1) perceived definition of and skills associated with critical thinking; 2) effectiveness and utilization of teaching strategies for the development of critical thinking; and 3) appropriateness and utilization of specific assessment measures for documenting critical thinking development. The population for this study included program directors for all JRCERT accredited radiography programs in the United States. Questionnaires were distributed via Survey Monkey©, a commercial on-line survey tool to 620 programs. A forty-seven percent (n = 295) response rate was achieved and included good representation from each of the three recognized program levels (AS, BS and certificate). Statistical analyses performed on the collected data included descriptive analyses (median, mean and standard deviation) to ascertain overall perceptions of the definition of critical thinking; levels of agreement regarding the effectiveness of listed teaching strategies and assessment measures; and the degree of utilization of the same teaching strategies and assessment measures. Chi squared analyses were conducted to identify differences within each of these themes between various program levels and/or between program directors with various levels of educational preparation as defined by the highest degree earned. Results showed that program directors had a broad and somewhat ambiguous perception of the definition of critical thinking, which included many related cognitive processes that were not always classified as attributes of critical thinking according to the literature, but were consistent with definitions and attributes identified as critical thinking by other allied health professions. These common attributes included creative thinking, decision making, problem solving and clinical reasoning as well as other high-order thinking activities such as reflection, judging and reasoning deductively and inductively. Statistically significant differences were identified for some items based on program level and for one item based on program director highest degree. There was general agreement regarding the appropriateness of specific teaching strategies also supported by the literature with the exception of on-line discussions and portfolios. The most highly used teaching strategies reported were not completely congruent with the literature and included traditional lectures with in-class discussions and high-order multiple choice test items. Significant differences between program levels were identified for only two items. The most highly used assessment measures included clinical competency results, employer surveys, image critique performance, specific course assignments, student surveys and ARRT exam results. Only one variable showed significant differences between programs at various academic levels.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Linköping : Linköpings universitet, 2008. / Härtill 6 uppsatser. Includes bibliographical references.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Linköping : Linköpings universitet, 2008. / Härtill 6 uppsatser.

Abstract The purpose of the present study was to implement a unique low-field open magnetic resonance scanner for perioperative imaging in neurosurgery. A paradigm was created for joint intraoperative/interventional MRI, including premises, surgical practice and an operational model. The feasibility of the paradigm was tested in clinical work. The joint use of the facilities between the Departments of Neurosurgery and Diagnostic Radiology was found to enhance the economic rationale and provide for perioperative imaging. It was also found to be organizationally viable in the long run. Intraoperative MRI was implemented and studied in connection with neuronavigation and other intraoperative instruments, tools and imaging modalities. The unique shut down possibility of the magnet enabled staged operating-imaging practice, use of non-MRI-compatible instruments and devices, multimodal imaging with navigation, and avoidance of safety risks associated with operating in magnetic fringe fields. Two dynamic contrast enhanced MR imaging sequences, which used undersampled projection reconstruction, were implemented in the low-field scanner. The applicability of these imaging sequences to follow contrast enhancement of meningiomas was studied in laboratory experiments and in two patient cases. The laboratory experiments showed a nearly linear response in signal intensity to the concentration of gadopentetate dimeglumine in purified water up to 1.25 mM. The patient cases showed results consistent with an earlier study performed at high-field strength. The potential of low-field MRI study including dynamic contrast enhanced imaging to predict surgical and histopathologic characteristics of meningiomas was studied in a series of 21 patients. Dynamic contrast enhanced imaging could be used to evaluate microvessel densities of meningiomas. Surgical bleeding, blood loss during operation, progesterone receptor expression and collagen content were statistically best correlated to the relative intensity of meningioma on FLAIR images. Tissue hardness correlated best with relative intensity on T2-weighted images.

The purpose of the project was to design a curriculum guideline for educators to teach computed radiography. This project can be used as a stand-alone course, or integrated into existing radiologic technology courses.