World Radiography and Radiology Day: by Mike Mackenzie
Two professions, one vision for better patient care
It is that time of the year again when we recognise World Radiography and Radiology Day, celebrated globally on 8th November, marking the discovery of X-rays by Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen in 1895, a moment that transformed medicine forever. It’s a time to honour radiographers and radiologists who play a vital role in our healthcare system, making crucial diagnostic contributions in medical image interpretation, which is critical to accurate diagnosis and effective medical treatment.
I have been the Clinical Lead Radiographer at Medica since autumn 2017, which was when we first initiated the radiographic reporting service. Since then, I have continued to support the growth and success of the team. As well as undertaking weekly reporting sessions myself, my combined roles also include supporting different divisions within the company, including selection and recruitment, working with clinical governance, facilitating appraisals and audits, as well as supporting the commercial team. Most importantly, I also regularly support the radiographer colleagues with any day-to-day needs.
We should continue to appreciate and raise awareness about the importance of our reporting colleagues. I would therefore like to take this opportunity as Medica’s Clinical Lead Radiographer to say a big ‘thank you’ to all the radiographers and radiologists for your continued efforts, and for being part of our highly experienced advanced practitioner reporting team.
Effective communication in teleradiology: Insights on Medica reporting
There are a few important topics that we should acknowledge. Firstly, the importance of successful communication in teleradiology. It is essential that, as diagnostic reporting practitioners, we continue to appreciate the limitations of direct interaction between ourselves and the referring clinicians. This absence of clinical discussion hinders a comprehensive understanding of the clinical context and reduces opportunities for immediate feedback.
We must endeavour to avoid ‘overly descriptive’ reports and produce accurate, concise and actionable reports to avoid unnecessary confusion that affects the patient’s pathway and management decisions.
Accuracy in teleradiology
Diagnostic reliability in teleradiology can be compromised when there is limited access to complete patient histories and previous imaging. Differences in imaging protocols and equipment quality among remote sites may result in inconsistencies. However, Medica teleradiology ensures reporters have access to a patient’s full history through its integrated systems (such as utilising the MedConnect platform, which combines direct RIS, HL7, and portal-driven workflows).
This allows a single-login reporter to access prior imaging and history. Therefore, providing a complete picture to ensure high-quality, no-compromise reports that are provided to clinicians to inform patient care. It is essential that we embrace this technology to make informed clinical decisions so that we provide actionable reports based on the full patient history.
Continued professional development: Commitment to excellence
We should be committed to ongoing training, learning and medical education, so that we can continue our online CPD opportunities with a varied number of lectures through live and pre-recorded seminars. These seminars have supported radiologists, radiographers, cardiologists, registrars, and other healthcare professionals worldwide in their pursuit of continued medical education.
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As we celebrate World Radiography and Radiology Day, teleradiology continues to provide the highest quality technology for reporters and provides significant advantages to NHS trusts in allowing accessibility, efficiency, and specialist support for all the UK regions. As healthcare professionals, we must ensure ongoing quality, security, and collaboration that are critical to the sustainable integration of teleradiology into modern healthcare systems.
Mike Mackenzie
Clinical Lead Reporting Radiographer
Medica