Introducing clinical mindlines: A discussion of professional knowledge sharing in clinical radiography education

Diagnostic radiography education research is often aimed at developing new academic theory or pedagogy to instil evidence-based practice and bridge the theory-practice gap. However, there has been little empirical research of how knowledge is created and shared in the clinical learning environment. This paper offers a new perspective on professional knowledge sharing in radiography education through the theory of clinical mindlines.

Scrutinising clinical mindlines theory against current radiography education literature highlights issues with our conceptualisation of knowledge, and gaps in our understanding of how professional knowledge is created, shared, and accessed in radiography education. Empirical research exploring these factors, particularly in the clinical learning environment is largely absent from the current literature.

Discourse on knowledge sharing in radiography education has historically been dictated by pedagogical theory and established within an academic setting. Using the clinical mindlines theory offers terminology and a framework which is rooted in clinical and organisational contexts, allowing us to study clinical learning and education more effectively.

Clinical mindlines have been effectively used across the healthcare landscape to understand and improve the movement of knowledge across boundaries. Radiography educators and researchers can use this new perspective to recognise the processes which aid knowledge sharing between diverse stakeholder groups. Radiographers and students can use this concept to reflect on their teaching and learning in practice to identify moments for more effective knowledge sharing.