Feasibility of Upskilling Non-Radiology Personnel in X-ray

Brigham and Women's Hospital7 enrolled

Overview

The goal of this feasibility study is to learn if individuals without formal radiology training can safely acquire adequate x-ray images following a structured training and real-time remote guidance from a licensed radiologic technologist (RT). The main question it aims to answer is: 1. Can trained non-radiology staff, with real-time remote supervision, obtain x-ray images that meet preset technical quality standards for each required view? 2. Can these staff perform x-ray exams safely, as shown by low operator exposure, few image re-takes, and good adherence to radiation safety protocols? 3. What is the mental and physical workload for the non-radiology staff and the remote RT during the imaging process, as measured by the NASA Raw Task Load Survey (RTLX) after each session?

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Enrollment

Conditions

Healthy Volunteers

Interventions

The structured training will cover core principles of radiography, positioning techniques, and how to use the ENDURO DR ES90 portable x-ray system. Additionally, participants will complete a self-paced radiation safety training course consisting of radiation safety protocols and operator safety principles.

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 YearsHealthy volunteers:

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Adults aged 18 or older * Able to read, speak, and understand English sufficient to follow study instructions and complete evaluation * Able to provide verbal consent * Currently employed as a medical assistant in a clinical or outpatient setting or actively enrolled in an accredited medical assistant training program * Willing to wear a personal dosimeter and comply with all radiation safety procedures * Willing to participate in all trainings Exclusion Criteria: * Prior or current professional training, certification, or education in radiography (formal or informal) * Prior experience performing x-rays a) including any prior hands-on testing experience with the ENDURO DR ES90 portable x-ray (prior observation or exposure to ENDURO DR is permitted) * Pregnancy or possible pregnancy (self-report) * Any condition or circumstance that would make participation unsafe

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Proportion of x-ray images rated as "diagnostically accurate"

Remote RT rates diagnostic adequacy of each image using a structured evaluation form

Time frame: Immediately following each x-ray image acquisition

Secondary Outcomes

Operator radiation exposure

Each participant will wear a dosimeter badge to record level of radiation exposure during image acquisition.

Time frame: 60 minutes from start of each imaging session

X-ray operator reported workload

Participants will complete the NASA Raw Task Load Survey

Time frame: Within 24 hours from imaging session

X-ray operator qualitative interview

Participants will provide brief qualitative feedback on training clarity and task difficulty via interview

Time frame: Within one week of imaging session