Assessing Ghanaian radiographers' competency in preliminary image evaluation: A pre- and post-test study.

Area of Science:

• Radiological Sciences
• Medical Education
• Diagnostic Imaging

Background:

• Delays in radiological reporting impact patient outcomes, increasing interest in Preliminary Image Evaluation (PIE).
• Competency in PIE is crucial for effective patient management by radiographers.
• This study addresses the need to assess and enhance PIE skills among Ghanaian radiographers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the image interpretation competencies of Ghanaian radiographers.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of a structured educational intervention program on PIE skills.
• To determine the impact of training on diagnostic metrics and abnormality assessment.

Main Methods:

• A quasi-experimental, single-group pre-test/post-test design was utilized.
• An image interpretation test tool with 60 images per phase was developed and validated.
• Thirty-six radiographers underwent a two-day training session and completed pre- and post-tests, with results analyzed using diagnostic metrics and statistical tests.

Main Results:

• Significant improvements were observed in accuracy (71.7% to 79.5%), sensitivity (84.1% to 90.4%), PPV (76.4% to 89.6%), and AUC (0.821 to 0.878) post-training.
• No significant changes were found in specificity (80.0% to 85%) and NPV (87.7% to 88%).
• Participants showed enhanced abilities in localizing (59.2% to 68.4%), describing (55.3% to 77.1%), and diagnosing (43.1% to 49.3%) abnormalities.

Conclusions:

• Ghanaian radiographers possess moderate baseline PIE competencies that significantly improve with structured training.
• Findings support the integration of image interpretation training into radiography curricula and continuing professional development.
• Formalizing PIE responsibilities with adequate training can enhance diagnostic services, especially in resource-constrained settings.