More than a comment: Radiographers' perspectives on image interpretation and image quality

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Radiography
• Healthcare Quality Improvement

Background:

• Radiographic quality is crucial for accurate diagnosis, encompassing technical adequacy and diagnostic utility.
• The link between radiographer involvement in image interpretation and improved X-ray quality has not been extensively studied.
• This study explores radiographers' views on X-ray image quality after implementing radiographer commenting.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate radiographers' perspectives on X-ray image quality.
• To assess the impact of radiographer commenting on the understanding and delivery of radiographic quality.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study involving 13 radiographers with 2-18 years of experience.
• Four online focus groups conducted via Zoom.
• Data analyzed using Braun & Clarke's Reflexive Thematic Analysis.

Main Results:

• Image interpretation by radiographers improved their understanding and delivery of X-ray quality.
• Key themes included increased reflection, enhanced performance expectations, deeper learning, improved technical decisions, and better collaboration.
• Radiographer commenting was identified as a mechanism for improving radiographic quality.

Conclusions:

• Formal image interpretation practices, such as radiographer commenting, enhance radiographers' understanding and production of high-quality X-rays.
• This leads to clinical and economic healthcare benefits.
• Radiographer commenting is within scope for practitioners and can be widely used to improve clinical image quality.