Dissertation Abstract

Barriers and Incentives to Participation in Continuing Professional Education of Imaging Technologists.

The purposes of this study were: (a) determination of imaging technologists' and sonographers' perceived barriers and incentives to participation in continuing professional education (CPE) external to the work setting; (b) determination of the relationship between the perceived barriers and actual participation in CPE; (c) determination of the relationship between demographic characteristics and participation in CPE; and (d) development of a diagrammatic presentation of participation in CPE. This researcher used an adaptation of Ajzen and Fishbein's (1980) conceptual framework for the prediction of specific intentions and behaviors in conjunction with Cross's (1981) Chain-of-Response Model as a basis for investigating barriers and incentives to participation in CPE.

The sample for this study was derived from the registered and/or certified nuclear medicine technologists, registered radiographers, and registered diagnostic medical sonographers in the state of Texas. The data were collected using the CPE Questionnaire and CPE Survey/Personal Data instrument which was developed for this study. The statistical methodology employed in this study was multiple linear regression.

After controlling for all other variables in the final regression model, there were four major predictors of CPE participation for these imaging technologists and sonographers. In descending order of importance, the best predictors were: (a) the construct scale of institutional provider access barriers (cost, travel distance, and transportation problems); (b) work modality; (c) population of employment city; and (d) ethnicity.

In addition, four independent variables had a tendency to influence CPE participation after controlling for all other variables in the final regression model. In descending order of positive influence were the construct scale of dispositional incentives and educational enrollment. In descending order of negative influence were the construct scale of institutional employer incentives and the institutional provider availability barrier.

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