Research Agenda

This research agenda addresses issues concerned with maximizing health care efficiency and effectiveness in a provider environment of limited resources. The ideas and issues under each topic are by no means complete and may overlap with issues listed in other areas.

We know that all of the research projects implied by this agenda cannot be initiated. Rather, we offer the agenda as a wish list for the radiologic sciences to stimulate students, faculty and practicing radiologic technologists to incorporate these issues in their own research.

Education

Methods

  • Educational technology and distance learning
  • Learning outcomes assessment
  • Strategies for teaching nontraditional students
  • Teaching and learning strategies

Curricula

  • Advanced practice
  • Clinical education
  • Curriculum effectiveness
  • Ethics
  • New program development
  • Re-entry education and curricula

Issues

  • Diversity and cultural competency
  • Faculty development
  • Professional values and commitment
  • Student and faculty recruitment and retention

Management

Challenges

  • Coding, billing and reimbursement
  • Impact of regulations and legislation on management
  • Measuring and improving customer satisfaction
  • Work force re-entry skill development

Knowing and Serving Your Workforce

  • Continuing education and workforce development
  • Job satisfaction and recognition
  • Linking worker performance to quality of care
  • Team building

Issues

  • Applications training
  • Cost-benefit analyses of new technologies
  • Ethics
  • Expectations of new graduate performance
  • Workfforce diversity

Practice

Issues

  • Diversity
  • Educational levels for practice
  • Ethics
  • Graying of profession
  • Limited licensure
  • Practice standards

Professional Development

  • Advanced practice
  • Burnout or satisfaction
  • Career ladder cross-training
  • Horizontal vs. vertical development
  • Independent practice
  • Lifelong learning and continuing education
  • Professional image
  • Validating certification (entry and advanced levels)

Adapting to and Creating Change

  • Blurring of departmental boundaries
  • Impact of new technologies, including fusion technologies
  • Effects of changing demographics
  • Teleradiology and new information systems

Meeting Patient Needs and Demands

  • Malpractice and liability issues
  • Patient care outcomes
  • Procedural best practices

Technology

Adapting

  • Coding, billing and reimbursement for new technologies
  • Impact of new technologies on required knowledge and skills
  • Education level required to adapt to rapid change
  • Outside consultants vs. internal development

Issues

  • Applications training
  • Advantages vs. negative outcomes and the impact of technological development
  • Asymptomatic screening using new technologies

Assessing

  • Feasibility of incorporating new technologies into practice standards
  • Impact of emerging technologies on costs, revenue, professional image, productivity, satisfaction, outcomes and time

Tools

  • Academic partnerships
  • Best and model practice benchmarking surveys
  • Professional development and continuing education productivity measurements
  • Employee recruitment and retention
  • Skill validation (competency evaluation)