Role development and extension for radiographers in computed tomography: Literature review findings and their application to Zimbabwe

Computed Tomography(CT) technology has evolved into avital diagnostic tool in modern medical practice, leading to the development and extension of the CT radiographer's role. While some countries have made progress in developing and extending radiographers' roles in CT, resource-constrained settings like Zimbabwe have been slower to implement these changes. The purpose of this review is to inform role changes for radiographers in Zimbabwe and similar settings by reviewing the literature on role development and extension for radiographers in CT. The review explores the concepts of role development and extension, emphasizing the necessity for changes in radiographers' roles in CT due to factors such as radiologists shortages, cost containment, quality improvement needs and technological advancements. It also addresses the opposition to role development and extension, emphasizing the fundamental impetus for these changes should be to provide high-quality and effective patient-centered care. The paper delves into specific areas of role development and extension for radiographers in CT, including intravenous (IV) cannulation and contrast media administration, performing CT colonoscopy examinations, reporting on CT brains, and the significance of research and clinical audit in CT. It underscores the potential benefits of these expanded roles, such as improved patient care, workflow efficiency, and the workload of radiologists, as well as advancements in education, service delivery, and technological innovations. The review underscores the need for further research to ensure evidence-based implementation of role development and extension for radiographers in CT. Embracing these changes and providing the necessary support and training can lead to improved patient care, address skill shortages, and advance the radiography profession in resource-constrained settings like Zimbabwe.

Perceptions and Willingness to Undertake Transvaginal Sonography by Women at the Sally Mugabe Central Hospital, Zimbabwe

ntroduction: The acceptability and willingness to undergo Transvaginal Sonography by the patients havegeneratedmixedreactionsindifferenthealthcare settings. There is little that is known aboutZimbabweanwomen'sperceptionsandwillingness to undergo Transvaginal Sonography and there are no specific guidelines to guide its use. Aim:To evaluate the perception and willingness to undergo Transvaginal Sonography among women attending Obstetrics and Gynaecology clinic at SallyMugabeCentralHospitalinHarare, Zimbabwe.Methods:Across-sectionalsurveyusingastructured questionnaire was conducted between 1 and 30 June 2022. Atotal of 170 women attending the obstetrics and gynaecology clinic at Sally MugabeCentralHospitalwereselectedbyconsecutive sampling to participate in the study.Results:The majority of women (81.76%) had no previous TVS experience, with an equally large proportion (60.84%) not having seen a TVS probe before. Most of the women would prefer female sonographers (85.37%) to conduct the examination. In addition, about 58% of the participants concurred that a chaperone should be present. Less than half of the females (47.93%) were eager to have a TVS done on them. Equally, just 45% of the females said they would encourage others to have a TVS scan. The difference in willingness to undergo a TVS study stratified by employment status was statistically significant (chi-square 7.26, p = 0.03). Conclusion: Our study findings revealed that a large proportion of females had no previous TVS experience, with an equally large proportion not having seen a TVS probe before. Only a sizeable proportion of women were willing to accept TVS provided it is conducted by female sonographers and or in the presence of a chaperone. The findings underscoretheimportanceofeducationandawareness of the benefits of TVS in terms of diagnosis on maternal health outcomes, in the Zimbabwean population.