(Press-News.org) Reston, VA -- A medical school in Ireland has successfully implemented a radiation protection program, improving knowledge of radiation protection among medical undergraduates, according to a study in the March issue of the Journal of the American College of Radiology.
Although the increased use of diagnostic imaging has resulted in faster, more accurate diagnosis, better assessment of therapy response, and early detection of complications, there has been a great deal of scrutiny of its increasing use. As a result, there is a growing need for medical professionals to be educated in all aspects of diagnostic imaging to ensure a basic understanding of imaging technology, appropriate and efficient utilization of diagnostic imaging investigations, basic image interpretation and possible adverse effects of exposure to ionizing radiation.
An e-learning module in radiation protection was designed and presented to year four medical undergraduates at University Cork College in Cork, Ireland. All students were required to complete pre-module and post-module questionnaires.
Eighty-nine percent and 99 percent of the 127 medical students successfully completed and returned the pre-module and post-module questionnaires.
"After the e-learning module, students' post-module radiation protection knowledge had improved significantly," said Sum Leong, MB, lead author of the study.
Analysis of post-module radiation protection knowledge suggested that a favorable self-assessment of knowledge of radiation protection, perception of career prospects in radiology and completion of the e-learning module with an increased number of sessions were factor predictive of improved radiation protection knowledge.
"The undergraduate medical curriculum is undergoing constant review and modification in response to modern medical developments that are changing clinical practice. The introduction of radiation protection into undergraduate curriculum therefore requires careful planning to maximize the effectiveness of the course while avoiding overburdening undergraduates with unmanageable lecture and tutorial schedules," said Leong.
"Combining e-learning and more traditional educational programs such as a clinical radiology rotation is likely to improve student experience," he said.
###For more information, or to schedule an interview with a JACR spokesperson, please contact Heather Curry at 703-390-9822 or PR@acr.org.
Medical School implements successful radiation protection program for undergraduate medical students
2012-03-01
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Radiation, business and health care policy curricula for US radiation residents show need for improvement
2012-03-01
Reston, VA -- Residency training requirements in competencies related to radiology business practice and health care policy have been in place for more than a decade. However, a recent study, published in the March issue of the Journal of the American College of Radiology, suggests curricula addressing these items still seem to be in a stage of acceptance and development.
"The United States has been experiencing a period of rapid changes in health care delivery and financing. Institutions and individuals have been repeatedly challenged to successfully adapt to the accelerating ...
New function of a bacterial photoresponsive protein: Resisting adhesion of mammalian cells
2012-03-01
Non-fouling materials that resist cell adhesion are very important in fundamental research on cell–biomaterial interactions and for practical applications. Thus, they have been extensively investigated during the last decade. Natural biomacromolecules such as bovine serum albumin (BSA) have conventionally been used to block cell adhesion. Zhao and Ding (Fudan University, Shanghai, China) recently reported that the purple membrane (PM) containing a natural photoresponsive protein, bacteriorhodopsin (BR), can serve as a new basic substance that resists adhesion of mammalian ...
Titanic Disaster Centenary Inspires Publication by the Darwin Press of the Authentic Love Story of Two Survivors: Starboard at Midnight by Helen Behr Sanford
2012-03-01
Although the Titanic disaster is widely known, the authentic story of the lovers, tennis star Karl H. Behr and Helen Newsom, is little known...until now. This new, definitive biography, Starboard at Midnight, written by their granddaughter, brings to light the long-buried secrets of these two survivors, breathing new life into legend.
Based on Karl Behr's unpublished autobiography (now in the Tennis Hall of Fame, Newport, RI) along with family scrapbooks and more than ten years of research into the historical background of this period, the full story of this epic romance ...
Osteoporosis experts urge bone density testing more frequently for women at risk
2012-03-01
Although a recent study suggests that women with normal results on dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans at ages 67 and older may wait up to 15 years for a second test, a Viewpoint article published today in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research (JBMR) cautions that such a lengthy interval is inappropriate for many adults.
Viewpoints allow experts to provide a new perspective on research. In their article, osteoporosis experts Drs. E. Michael Lewiecki, Andrew Laster, Paul Miller and John Bilezikian write that monitoring bone mineral density by DXA should be ...
Aspirin may counteract potential trans fat-related stroke risk in older women
2012-03-01
Older women whose diets include a substantial amount of trans fats are more likely than their counterparts to suffer an ischemic stroke, a new study shows.
However, the risk of stroke associated with trans fat intake was lower among women taking aspirin, according to the findings from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill researchers.
The study, "Trans Fat Intake, Aspirin and Ischemic Stroke Among Postmenopausal Women," was published Thursday (March 1, 2012) online in the journal Annals of Neurology.
The study of 87,025 generally healthy postmenopausal women ...
Investigators predict, confirm how E. coli bacteria hijack cells' directional mechanism
2012-03-01
DALLAS – March 1, 2012 – Working in the emerging field of systems biology, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers mathematically predicted how bacteria that cause food poisoning hijack a cell's sense of direction and then confirmed those predictions in living cells.
The study proposed a new model to explain how mammalian cells establish the sense of direction necessary to move, as well as the mechanism that a disease-causing form of E. coli bacteria employ to hijack that ability. Cells need to orient themselves for several basic processes, such as keeping biochemical ...
Artists Announced for 2012 Newport Folk Festival
2012-03-01
The Newport Festivals Foundation continues to celebrate the festival's historic past by featuring emerging young artists alongside some of folk music's most venerable names. This year's festival features: My Morning Jacket, Jackson Browne, Conor Oberst, Iron & Wine, Patty Griffin, Guthrie Family Reunion, Dawes, The Head & The Heart, Deer Tick, Punch Brothers, City & Colour, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, The Tallest Man on Earth, tUnE-yArDs, Tom Morello, Trampled by Turtles, Gary Clark, Jr., Alabama Shakes, Blind Pilot, Of Monsters and Men, original music from: ...
Insight E Cigarette Reviews: Tobacco Smoke is Safer Than E Cigarette Vapor Claims Utah Health Official
2012-03-01
The e cigarette is under fire again by special interest and misguided politicians using now debunked FDA testing as their reasoning for a ban of the electronic cigarette in public places.
According to science, it is the combusted plant material that is inhaled deep into the lungs that cause over 99% of the harm generated by tobacco.
Electronic cigarettes have the same or lesser amounts of these nicotine based chemicals than pharmaceutical smoking cessation drugs that are approved by the FDA for the general population in over the counter gums, patches and other NRT ...
The Buzz of Today's Bachelorette Parties, According to BachelorettePartyFun.com
2012-03-01
Planning a bachelorette party in 2012 is far different than the centuries old tradition of a dinner party given by the bridegroom. Recently, the film Bridesmaids brought to light the stereotypical zaniness that can occur during, what is termed, "The Last Night Out." It is believed this night grew out of the 60s sexual revolution, where bachelorettes could be as sassy as the groomsmen, including a night out with exotic dancers, crazy themes, and the ever popular drinking and dancing on bars.
Today's bachelorettes throw a wide variety of parties that involve ...
iCharts Secures $3.1M Series A Funding To Expand Product Offering to Mainstream Consumers
2012-02-29
iCharts, Inc., a cloud-based interactive charting platform, today announced the closing of a Series A private equity financing of $3.1M.
Regehr Capital Management Group, a German group of super-angels, led the financing. Additional investors include Saeed Amidi, Founder and CEO of Plug N Play and Lorenz Graef, Founder and former CEO of Globalpark, an accredited expert in the market research industry.
"We have filled an industry gap by creating a platform that radically simplifies sharing charts on websites and social media, " says CEO and co-founder Seymour ...