Radiographers and the Justification of the X-ray Request
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Interprofessional working in radiology: radiographers, referrers and the X-ray request.
IRAS ID
220124
Contact name
Malgorzata Ciesielska
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Teesside University
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
SSSBLEC169, School Ethics Committee
Duration of Study in the UK
4 years, 3 months, 2 days
Research summary
The research will chiefly investigate how radiographers make decisions regarding whether to query X-ray requests. Radiographers are responsible for the legal process of justification (appraisal of risk/benefit) of requests for X-ray examination and protection of staff/the public under statutory instruments. This is important to understand as any exposure to ionising radiation may be harmful and disputes may cause delay in patient treatment.
Radiographers are in a unique position in that they traditionally are not part of multi-disciplinary team (MDT) meetings, and are generally part of the radiology team alone. This team may be seen as the healthcare equivalent of a sub-contractor, hired out by an MDT to undertake a specific task. This may also have an effect on the interaction of the radiographer with other healthcare professionals as research around teamwork and communication has purposed that knowledge of the roles of others and familiarity are essential to effective communication and teamwork.
Participants will be radiographers who undertake the justification process. They will be observed within the X-ray department, with interviews following this. Referrers will also be interviewed regarding their experiences of the process and regarding their interactions with radiographers.
REC name
West Midlands - Black Country Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
18/WM/0269
Date of REC Opinion
5 Oct 2018
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion