Добірка наукової літератури з теми "Sonographer shortage"

Neurosonology is a rapidly growing field of imaging which demands a highly skilled imaging professional. Sonographers are imagers trained to produce sonographic images of one or more of the following specialty areas: abdomen, obstetrics/ gynecology, adult echocardiography, pediatric echocardiography, opthalmology, vascular technology, and neurosonology. There are short and long term training programs for sonographers which vary in scope and the number of specialty areas offered. Some sonographers do not receive formal training and learn OTJ (on-the-job). Any training program in neurosonology should encompass anatomy, basic pathology, sonographic appearance of normal and abnormal structures, and physics/instrumentation. There is presently a sonographer shortage due to the rapid increase in sonographer positions nationwide. It is therefore beneficial to the neurosonology department to allow ample time to recruit and/or train a sonographer. The Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers, the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers, and the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine are valuable resources in providing information on training opportunities and recruitment strategies for sonographers. (J Child Neurol 1989;4:S5-S7).

Objective: Cardiac sonographers are challenged on a daily basis to provide excellent frontline care for a variety of patients. They face challenges of promoting quality over quantity and continued support for education and training efforts. Echocardiography requires an operator-dependent sonographer with independent judgement and critical thinking skills to obtain and integrate diagnostic information during the echo examination. The growth of echocardiographic procedures has increased the demand for qualified cardiac sonographers to cover the workload. Materials and Methods: Occupational employment and wage statistics, educational opportunities, simulation labs and clinical sites, national registries, and ASE standards for a quality echo educational environment are discussed. Results: The national curriculum for echocardiography is extensive and requires adequate clinical hands-on training to promote an opportunity for the student to become a competent cardiac sonographer. Credentialing in echocardiography demonstrates to the patients, healthcare professionals, and employers of medical facilities that the cardiac sonographer is a dedicated professional in their respective field. Conclusions: Additional accredited cardiovascular programs with active credentialed clinical sites to fulfill this shortage. The skillset has increased with new procedures requiring training in advanced imaging techniques such as three-dimensional imaging, strain, tissue Doppler, and contrast-enhanced imaging.

Introduction Across the last two decades, ultrasound services in many healthcare sectors have become increasingly pressurised as a consequence of upsurging demand and difficulties in recruiting viable clinicians. Indeed by 2013, the UK government’s Migration Advisory Committee had listed sonography as an official ‘shortage specialty’. Comparatively little research has to date, however, explored the impacts of this situation upon the departments themselves, and the individuals working therein. The core purpose of this study is, thus, to lend qualitative depth to current understandings of the frontline situation in the UK’s ultrasound units, many of which are understaffed, from the perspective of their managers. Methods Using a thematic analysis informed by a Straussian model of Grounded Theory, N = 20 extended accounts provided by ultrasound department leads in public ( n = 18) and private ( n = 2) units were explored. Results Four global themes emerged from the analysis of which the first two (the broadly sociological matters) are described in this paper. Theme 1 addresses how a lack of staff in the broader ultrasound economy has created a troublesome migratory system in contemporary UK ultrasound. Theme 2 addresses how this economy works chiefly to the advantage of the most junior and the most senior clinicians, often leaving mid-career professionals in the borderline impossible situation of having to concurrently occupy both junior and senior roles. Conclusions The findings ideally open up debate on some key practical contingencies of the UK’s sonographer shortage, and reflect upon literature regarding the nuanced aspects of a shifting healthcare workplace constitution.

There continues to be an ongoing shortage of diagnostic medical sonographers in Canada. While much focus has been placed on educational institutions opening more spots in their competitive entry programs, this priority ignores a critical piece of the puzzle—the availability of clinical preceptors required to provide the mandatory clinical training for these students to obtain their Canadian Clinical Skills Assessment (CCSA) competencies. Students must obtain their CCSAs to be eligible to write the Sonography Canada written examinations and gain entry-to-practie in the field. To continue to train competent sonographers and open more clinical practicum placements in Canada, clinical preceptors require increased support and training, both from educational institutions and the facilities they work for. The lack of adequate professional training in teaching skills, a lack of scanning time, and minimal support for clinical preceptors has led to a scarcity of clinical spots for sonography students, undermining students’ training and impeding their ability to acquire essential hands-on scanning experience required to meet the Sonography Canada entry-to-practise requirements.

Sonographers are practice-based medical imaging professionals who perform diagnostic ultrasound examinations. Australia has a sonographer shortage that risks patients’ timely access to ultrasound services. Limited access to practical training in clinical departments is cited as the predominant cause of the shortage. Educational change, such as practical training using simulation-based ultrasound, may provide a solution. Simulation-based ultrasound is a teaching method used to educate medical students to ultrasound proficiency, however it is not broadly integrated within Australian sonography curricula. Research into the value and impact of ultrasound simulation on prequalification sonographer students’ learning is limited.

This research aims to determine the value and impact of simulation-based ultrasound training on prequalification sonographer students’ anatomical knowledge, ultrasound (skill) performance, and professional behaviour. Two literature reviews were undertaken. The first review of grey literature was undertaken to identify issues impacting the sonographer workforce shortage and any educational response. The second review of published literature determined the value and impact of simulation-based ultrasound on students’ learning. The first review revealed a decade of growth in sonographer student numbers but increasing demand that ensured the persistence of workforce shortage. Educational responses included two new models of sonographer education with integrated simulation-based ultrasound training. The second review revealed the positive value and impact of simulation-based ultrasound on students’ learning of anatomical knowledge and ultrasound performance. Research rarely included sonographer students as participants, ultrasound simulation outcomes for professional behaviour, or evaluation of the transfer of students’ learning to the clinical workplace. Research into these evidentiary gaps is a prerequisite to the widespread adoption of simulation-based ultrasound into sonographer education.

This thesis undertakes an evaluative case study methodology. The case was the simulation-based ultrasound education integrated into the sonographer students’ curriculum at Central Queensland University (CQUniversity), Queensland, Australia. The case study sought to evaluate the outcomes of simulation-based ultrasound training within a five-year timeframe. Methods of data collection and analysis were threefold, comprising qualitative analysis of student surveys, and both quantitative, and qualitative, analyses of university archival data that reported clinical supervisor-assessors’ numeric ratings, and written comments. The student participants were limited to prequalification students enrolled at CQUniversity.

Research findings demonstrated the positive impact on and efficacious transfer of post-simulation sonographer students’ ultrasound performance and professional behaviour to the clinical workplace. Secondly, they demonstrated sonographer and radiographer students’ positive perception of the value of ultrasound scanning (in a simulated setting) as an anatomical teaching method. Other findings included that the clinical transfer of learnt skills and behaviours was non-uniform; deliberate practice appeared to improve transferability; and factors were identified that influenced sonographer assessors’ judgements of post-simulation competence. Such evidence is critical to the validation, adoption, assessment, and integration of simulation-based ultrasound into sonographer education curricula. Simulation-based ultrasound training has the potential to enhance clinical outcomes, professional identity development, workplace relationships, clinical workflow, and patient well-being during the early stages of ultrasound education, while reducing staff turnover, and litigation risks. Implementation of simulation-based ultrasound could potentially increase clinical training capacity and thereby improve sonographer workforce supply. In turn, this would reduce the training burden on clinical staff.

碩士
國立臺灣大學
物理治療學研究所
90
Osteoarthritis of the knees is a common disease in the elderly. Shortwave diathermy (SWD) is one of the most frequently used modalities for the patients with knee arthritis. Theoretically SWD can reduce chronic synovitis, but no experimental report had been found. Recently, sonography has being developed to evaluate the disorders of musculoskeletal system. The purpose of this study were:1. to assess the reliability of sonography in evaluating the synovitis of OA knee; 2. to observe the change of synovitis in OA knees after SWD by using sonography; 3. to correlate the changes of synovitis with the pain and functional incapacity scale. Methods: Thirty subjects were participated in this study including study and control groups. All subjects in the study group received 30 sessions of shortwave diathermy. They were assessed by sonography before treatment and re-assessed after 10 , 20 , ahd 30 sessions of shortwave therapy to observe the change of synovitis. Subject was supine with the knee in 30 flexion and the measurments of synovium were done around patella at superior, inferior, lateral and medial portion. Control group did not receive any treatment except sonography evaluation. Results: After 30 sessions of SWD, the thickness and vascular index of synovium, pain scale, Bandi’s criteria of functional incapacity score were decreased in study group. The correlation of synovial thickness with pain and functional incapacity score were high. The correlation of vascular index of synovitis with pain and functional incapacity score were high too. Conclusion: Shortwave diathermy can reduce chronic synovitis of the OA knees. Ultrasonic image can be used as a good tool to observe the synovium of the knee joint. In the future, we hope physical therapist can use sonography to assess the synovium of the OA knees, to detect the real pathological location and to select a proper modality for the patients.