Radiographic Informatics Advisory Group
Radiographic Informatics Group (RIG)
Radiographic Informatics Group (RIG)
Information Technology (IT) principles, systems and processes underpin almost all aspects of modern clinical imaging and radiotherapy services. IT supports radiographers to deliver the best possible professional care for their patients. However, it is not simply the preserve of the ‘techies’. As radiographers using this technology every day you have vital insight into how things work on the ground, and how they could work better.
The Radiographic Informatics Group covers a range of areas which employ IT for clinical imaging and therapeutic radiography services, including the generation, handling, communication, storage, retrieval, management, analysis and synthesis of data and knowledge. The purpose of RIG is to enable the Society and College of Radiographers to keep up to date with and influence developments, and to support and advise SoR members on dealing with informatics issues.
The impact of national information management and technology (IM&T) programmes will be wide ranging for all healthcare staff but, in particular, for the radiography workforce; in relation to PACS and record and verify systems combined with modern planning systems and IMRT services.
IM&T supports clinical governance and the development of evidence-based practice; it will enable radiographers to actively contribute to and use the electronic library for health, ensuring they provide the best possible care for their patients and clients.
The SoR expects:
The aim of the Radiographic Informatics Group is to assist radiographers, managers and education providers to embed IM&T into everyday practice.
The group currently consists of the following members:
| Contacts | |
|---|---|
Tom Welton Council Member | SCoR Professional Officer |
Administrative Support | |
An accepted definition of health informatics is: ‘The knowledge, skills and tools which enable information to be collected, managed, used and shared to support the delivery of healthcare and to promote health.’(Making Information Count, A Human Resources Strategy for Health Informatics Professionals, DH, 2002).
The document ‘Learning to Manage Health Information’ sets out a framework of learning that clinicians can use as a guide to ensure they have the appropriate knowledge to enable them to understand the use of informatics and is a good starting point for a clinician who considers themselves to be a beginner in the field. Please click on the link below to see the document in full:
Learning to Manage Health Information (2012)
Collecting, using and managing information effectively is a key element of any clinician’s work. Although clinicians do not have to be informatics specialists they do need to have a good working understanding of informatics processes. Good informatics practice is one of the common threads running through any clinical role. Radiographers are constantly working with information and not just the clinical content that is revealed by the images that are produced. Information needs to be managed to ensure the correct images are taken of the correct part of the correct patient.
Once the images have been produced they need to be shown to the relevant people in order for decisions to be made to continue the care pathway. All of this needs to be done in accordance with the principles of information governance and in a way that ensures the images are maintained in the correct format and are readily accessible to those who need to review them whilst the patients consent and confidentiality is maintained at all times.
It is therefore extremely important that clinicians are aware of the information processes that they use in their everyday work and assess their capability to be able to operate safely and effectively.
Anant Patel is currently a Health Informatics Consultant and Subject Matter Expert in Electronic Patient Records, Radiology Systems and Shared Care Records (worked with Bart's Health, Homerton University Hospital, and Cambridge and Peterborough ICB and QA and Testing Consultant for IT infrastructure and software (Central and North West London NHS Trust and Reading Borough Council), and works clinically (weekends) at St Cross Hospital Rugby.
At Homerton NHS FT he was an IT lead, he helped implement PACS at Homerton and was a system designer for an Electronic Patient Record System at Homerton and Newham Radiology Department, designing and implementing a paperless system, as well as a radiation protection supervisor and governance lead.
He previously represented the RIG nationally on the Clinical Risk and Safety Board, NHS eReferal System, Inter-Collegiate Working Party (RCR, BIR, SCoR and IPEM) and was Vice President for Informatics on the UKI&O Conferences. He has had articles published on clinical systems and paperless working, written chapters for two Health Informatics books and has also presented nationally.
Dr Naomi Shiner has 22 years of radiography experience, originally trained at the University of Central England (BCU) as a Diagnostic Radiographer. A keen interest in trauma, led Naomi to specialise in 2003 as a reporting radiographer in axial and appendicular musculoskeletal image interpretation, with the University of Bradford. Naomi moved to the Highlands in 2008, taking a cross sectional post in MRI and CT prior to becoming the superintendent of conventional imaging.
Naomi has worked at Robert Gordon University and is now a senior lecturer at the University of Derby. Naomi has extensive leadership experience with positions as the MSc (pre-reg) and currently the undergraduate programme leader. She is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and an external examiner for the MSc (pre-reg) Diagnostic Radiography programme for the University of Liverpool and previously at Queen Margaret’s University, Edinburgh.
Simulation is her passion! In 2022, Naomi was awarded her Doctorate in Health and Social care practice. The focus was on the role of simulation and moulage in the preparation of radiography students for clinical practice. She has several publications linked to this pedagogy and an invited speaker, nationally and internationally. Naomi has been awarded the Alan Nichol’s award by the Society of Radiographers and was University lecturer of the year in 2018. Naomi supports the college as chair of the simulation group and the radiography profession as chair of the Society of Radiographers Simulation Specialist Interest Group. She is on the editorial board for ‘The South African Radiographer’ the official peer reviewed journal for the Society of Radiographers of South Africa, peer reviews for two further journals and is an advisor for virtual medical coaching, a New Zealand company focussed on augmented and virtual reality.
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Louise qualified as a Diagnostic Radiographer at the University of Ulster and began her clinical career at the Ulster Hospital. She later specialised in CT, obtaining a post graduate qualification at the University of Bradford and presenting at the European Congress of Radiology.
After 11 years Louise moved into the PACS team in Northern Health and Social Care Trust and discovered a love for informatics. She leads a small but very dedicated team who all have the same passion for data quality and having a positive impact on the patient journey. She has strong links with the Digital Pathology service within her Trust in addition to the Radiology Department and pursues her aim to have a strong partnership between all PACS users. Louise represents her Trust at regional level PACS forums and meetings.
Louise is currently working as a Subject Matter Expert with the regional Programme who are implementing a single RIS PACS solution for the whole of Northern Ireland. This will include many additional imaging specialties in addition to radiology and pathology.
She maintains a keen interest in current professional issues through her involvement the Radiology Informatics Advisory Group (RIAG).
Originally trained as a Diagnostic Radiographer at the University of the West of England, practising in Weston-super-Mare, Mike gained extensive experience across multiple modalities prior to a move into PACS.
Awarded a Pg(Cert) in CT from the University of Bradford, Mike maintains an interest in both Trauma and Stroke imaging alongside his interests in informatics.
He has insight into both local and regional programmes, including the integration of Community Diagnostic Hubs with partner NHS Trusts.
Mike has previously represented his peers as an elected IR Rep to the Society. He maintains his keen interest in professional issues through his involvement in the Radiology Informatics Advisory Group (RIAG).
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Wendy Town qualified as a Diagnostic Radiographer at the University of Hertfordshire in 2005 and went on to undertake a post graduate certificate in Medical Imaging at Bradford University in 2009.
Wendy has worked as a Senior Radiographer undertaking training in a variety of different modalities with a specialist interest in Nuclear Medicine (NM) and Computered Tomography (CT).
Over the last 10 years Wendy has been working closely with the RIS, PACS and future Radiology system developments for Dartford & Gravesham NHS Trust. Her job role has expanded and become an essential part of the Radiology team. Wendy enjoys the challenges that her role in department brings. Wendy has to work closely with external company’s bridging the gap between supplier and customer.
In 2019 Dartford & Gravesham NHS Trust had an exciting opportunity to work as early adapters with a Chest Artificial Intelligence company. Wendy had the opportunity to help test and develop the system. This also included developing a new exciting Lung pathway workflow for same day CT imaging. In 2020 Wendy was involved in the CQC Sandbox meeting to review processes and governance of our Chest AI software.
Since the first Artificial Intelligence (AI) project this has opened up more opportunities for service support and development. Wendy is currently working with three permanent AI solutions and envisages the service will take on more AI to help aid the reporting turnaround and service demand.
In 2021 Wendy was invited to take part in the Radiology Quality Standards review and successfully submitted a standard incorporating AI and the governance process surround it.
Wendy is also a member of the SCoR Artificial Intelligence Advisory Group.
Wendy enjoys IT and working with new systems and developing workflows. In her spare time she enjoys relaxing with a book, gardening and playing computer games.