Seminars in MRI

1
Continuing Education MRI

• What if its not an option, but essential to
  imaging excellence

2
Continuing Education MRI
Linked to accreditation and reimbursementits
now fundamental to your success How so?
3
Consider Image quality is influenced by

• Equipment and its Performance
• Operators and their Expertise
• Environment and its Impact
• Management and their Posture
• Weakness in one link compromises the entire chain
  Strengthening each link is vital to victory

4
Equipment and its Performance

• Overall Image Quality and Throughput
• Spatial resolution ability to see spatial
  details
• Low contrast resolution ability to distinguish
  differences in tissue characteristics
• Fidelity Absence of distortion and artifacts
• Reliability Uptime / Downtime/ Service

5
Environment and its Impact

• Image quality is influenced by
• Overall design and lay-out
• MR site selection
• Shielding and radiation confinement
• Sources of interference
• Support equipment
• Intermittent problems

6
Management and its Posture

• Impact image quality through
• Commitment to excellence Posture, attitude and
  mission
• Commitment to patient care Exceptional imaging
• Commitment to reduce false positives/ false
  negatives
• Intolerance (or tolerance) to mediocre image
  quality
• Commitment to staff excellence

7
Staff and their Expertise

• MRI is complex - even intimidating at times
• Past academic curriculum did not include MRI
• New modality Does not lend itself easily to OJT
• Choice of protocol and parameters affect image
• Knowledge leads to confidence in the workplace
• Confidence leads to performance improvement
• Leads to better patient care, increased market
  share, and overall business success

8
Types of Training and Education

• Foundational/ Basic
• Provides fundamental understanding of MRI
• Forms a good foundation to build MR expertise
• Applied/ Applications
• Essential for proper operation of equipment
• Training required with new releases
• Board Certification
• Requires both basic and applied knowledge

9
Rewards to Imaging Center

• Increased understanding of MRI by staff
• paves way to excellence in imaging
• result in compliance with quality objectives
• leads to increased adherence and harmony of goals
• leads to willingness to take added roles
  responsibilities
• leads to increased confidence in imaging
  procedures
• (poor understanding usually produce sub-optimal
  images)
• Meet (or exceed) standards of ACR accreditation
• Attract and retain MR technologists

10
Rewards to Manufacturer

• Improved product performance
• Increased customer satisfaction
• Keep the vendor involved and increase their
  exposure
• Multi-pronged approach to influence quality
• Reduce customer complaints
• Escalate the knowledge base of the clients
• Ease the workload of the applications specialist
• Facilitate the intentions of the service engineer
• Acknowledgement bestowed upon vendors as Sponsors
• So consider involving them in this educational
  endeavor

11
Why use IMIT

• Proven commitment to technologists
• Substantial teaching experience in Imaging
• Experts in Medical Imaging and Medical Physics
• Hands on experience in Imaging and Physics
• Clinically active (e.g., treatment planning)
• Cost-effective compared to out-of town seminars
• Continuity of relationship with IMIT faculty
• Opportunity to build on the existing framework
• IMIT is attuned to AAPM, RSNA, ASRT and ACR
• Relationship with APS www.PhysicsService.com
• Relationship with IMIT www.IMITweb.com

12
What next

• Visit www.IMITweb.com and sign up for the seminar
  of your choice. If you dont find one that fits
  your time or location, help us create one for
  you! How?
• In consultation with technologists, select dates
• Select a location that meets your criteria it
  need not be in the hospital
• Announce the course (we can provide flyers)
• Promote attendance
• Invite the hospital CEO to give the opening
  remarks
• Optional Contact vendor to fund this educational
  endeavor
• Contact IMIT at 215-378-0138 or padikal_at_yahoo.com