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ISRRT | Book Of Abstracts

35 whether it’s justifiable to use sonographers to perform diagnostic ultrasound in the upper abdomen. Methods: A cost/benefitanalyze included salary, time spent performing reports, time radiologists spent to assistant or take over examinations because the lack of sonographers competence, new tasks that the radiologists find time to do,change of waiting time. Results: The radiologists’ saved 36 or 17 hours per week for other tasks as a consequence of using the sonographers to perform all ultrasound examinations in upper abdomen independently. The waiting time is reduced and the radiologists have saved time to perform more examinations with advanced diagnostic, CT, MRI and conventional x-ray examinations. The study concludes that from a society perspective the benefits are documented, depending on that the society will invest in the sonographer’s education. 10.11. “The Young and The Restless” - How to Harness the Synergy of a Multigenerational Radiation Therapy Team Presenter: Marcia Smoke, Juravinski Cancer Centre, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada Authors: Marcia Smoke, Courtney Patterson, Tom Farrell Introduction: Radiation therapy currently has a mixture of generations in the workplace: Baby Boomers, Generation X and Millennials. Each generation has different attitudes, styles, work ethics, preferences and goals that are shaped by varying life experiences. These variations can have a significantly positive influence on productivity if managed appropriately, or the variations can create conflict and negatively impact the cohesion in the workplace environment. Managing a workplace with generational diversity presents unique challenges. Intergenerational workplace differences have been studied in nursing, but not in radiation therapy. Understanding how the intergenerational workforce impacts radiation therapists at a large, Canadian, academic Cancer Centre could help create a work environment to meet each generation’s needs and expectations. The work expectations, work ethics, job preferences, career goals, values and attitudes were investigated in the three main generations in the radiation therapy workforce, that is, the Baby Boomers (1946-1964), Generation X (1965-1979) and Millennials (1980-2000). Radiation therapy is a unique area of study in that the job requires exceptional teamwork abilities to ensure patient safety and quality assurance. As a result, it will be interesting to see how this unique factor will influence the survey results compared to the literature. The study also investigates innovation that could be considered for radiation therapy practice that addresses Generation X and Millennial’s desire for flexibility, creativity, autonomy and an unstructured work environment. Methods: A literature review was performed on the work expectations, work ethics, job preferences, career goals, values and attitudes of the three generations. A quantitative survey was developed. Data were analyzed using the Sign and Kruskal-Wallis tests. Results: Radiation therapists from all generations scored positively for working with therapists from other generations. No intergenerational conflict was noted. Generational differences may not manifest in the workplace as much as postulated by the literature. It is possible that radiation therapists develop similar work attitudes and preferences through the process of ‘normalization’. The study highlights areas of innovative radiation therapy practice to address each generation’s expectations. 10.12. Innovation in healthcare: combining the best of business and non-profits- Social Enterprises Presenter: François Couillard, CAMRT, Canada Author: François Couillard Introduction: Many healthcare organizations are struggling to make ends meet as they aim to fulfill the needs of those they serve with dwindling means. At the same time, their stakeholders are asking for more accountability for the way they spend their money. Governments faced with growing deficits are disengaging from some of their social commitments, focusing more effort on reducing their deficits and stimulating the economy. Businesses, on the other hand, are under growing burden to behave in a socially responsible way. Social innovation is emerging as a promising new way to connect these various actors and foster collaboration across sectors. In this presentation we will explore the concepts of social innovation and social enterprise. The author will share examples of how the social enterprise model is helping improve health outcomes in various parts of the world, highlighting best practices and pitfalls. Examples will range from a multinational corporation promoting portable ultrasound devices in India to help diagnose life threatening conditions, to small a social enterprise providing solutions to bridge the eHealth knowledge divide in Medical Imaging Informatics. This topic will be of interest to health professionals who are looking for alternative models of delivering care in regions with weak or inefficient healthcare public funding. It will appeal equally to those responsible for the management or good governance of professional associations as they seek ways to better serve their members in a financially sustainable way. Finally, it will be of interest to industry representatives as they respond to public pressure to “give back” and behave in a socially responsible way. Methods: The author will discuss numerous case studies. He will make reference to the available literature on the emerging field of social enterprises and his own experience as a business and non-profit executive and a consultant. Results: The polarization between business and non-profits is blurring. New organizational models are emerging that combine the best of the non-profit and business worlds: social enterprises. This is still a new field, but thought-provoking new models to organize and deliver health care and improve population health are being developed all over the world and show promising results. 10.13. Perspectives of medical radiation technologists regarding involvement in planning and execution of workrelated organizational changes Presenter: Greg Toffner, Athabasca University, Canada Author: Greg Toffner Introduction: How organizational changes are managed in the workplace and how they are perceived by front-line Medical Radiation Technologists (MRTs) may have a direct or indirect effect on a number of underlying factors such as intrinsic motivation, trust, attitudes, stress levels, staff morale and job satisfaction. In turn, job performance, patient care, staff retention and attainment of strategic planning initiatives can be influenced. Influences based on changes being implemented by organizational leaders can affect fundamental internal dynamics within organizations that can negatively or positively affect employees and subsequently outcomes for the organization. This study explored the perspectives of front-line MRTs concerning their involvement in planning and execution of work-related organizational changes. The aim of the study was to obtain a better understanding about if, and where, influential change in the MRT professional environment is occurring, how MRTs perceive that change and how their perceptions of the implemented change affected the practice environment. As healthcare organizations anticipate future trends, the concept of “change” will become an increasingly important influence on the maintenance of quality health services in times of limited resources. How change is managed will have an impact on quality, accessibility and efficiency of health services and sustainability of the healthcare system. Methods: - Qualitative descriptive study - Data collection was comprised of personal interviews and a focus group - Rigor in the research design was maintained by following established standards in qualitative research practices Results: This study was remarkably consistent with the conceptual framework presented for the study. The theories presented by Lewin, Bridges, and Senge change confirmed in this study why some change initiatives are successful and others are not. The concepts of intrinsic motivation and participant engagement had a profound impact on the change transition. 10.14. Aged Care Mobile X Ray Service- an ED Avoidance Project Presenter: Ingrid Klobasa-Egan, Northern Beaches Medical Imaging Departments, Sydney ,Australia Authors: Ingrid Klobasa-Egan, Ken Cassar et al Introduction: Australian Hospitals have been seeking to identify avoidable Emergency admissions due to ever-increasing presentations and an aging population. Aged/disabled patients from nursing homes often experience lengthy waiting times in Emergency for simple x-ray examinations and often experience difficulties in obtaining ambulance transport to and from hospital. These patients face extended periods of discomfort on ambulance beds, and in some cases disorientation, whilst waiting for an x


ISRRT | Book Of Abstracts
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