International cooperation in radiology training: A multipronged approach

Felipe Aluja-Jaramillo; Fernando R Gutiérrez; Carlos Previgliano; Francisco Faican; Antonio Luna-Alcalá; Ignacio Rossi; Sanjeev Bhalla

doi:10.1067/j.cpradiol.2024.05.017

International cooperation in radiology training: A multipronged approach

Curr Probl Diagn Radiol. 2024 May 7:S0363-0188(24)00094-X. doi: 10.1067/j.cpradiol.2024.05.017. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Felipe Aluja-Jaramillo¹, Fernando R Gutiérrez², Carlos Previgliano³, Francisco Faican⁴, Antonio Luna-Alcalá⁵, Ignacio Rossi⁶, Sanjeev Bhalla⁷

Affiliations

¹ Radiology Department, Hospital Universitario San Ignacio - Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Carrera 7a # 60 - 42, Bogotá, Colombia. Electronic address: faluja@javeriana.edu.co.
² Professor of Radiology, Cardiothoracic Imaging Section, Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA.
³ Professor of Radiology, Body section, Director and coordinator of the International Teleconference Program, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, LA, USA.
⁴ Department of Radiology, Director of the ALAT imaging Department, Cuenca, Ecuador.
⁵ Department of Radiology, HT Médica, Clínica Las Nieves, Jaén, Spain.
⁶ Department of Radiology, Centro Diagnóstico Rossi, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
⁷ Professor of Radiology, Cardiothoracic Imaging Section, Member of the RSNA Board of Directors - Standing Director, Liaison for Education, Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA.

PMID: 38734505
DOI: 10.1067/j.cpradiol.2024.05.017

Abstract

Introduction: Medical imaging has undergone significant technical advancements in recent years, posing a considerable challenge for radiologists to stay up-to-date with emerging modalities and their applications in daily practice. This challenge is even more daunting in developing countries with limited resources compared to the US and other developed nations with greater economic assets. The collaboration between the United States and other advanced nations with radiological institutions in Latin America has been a significant achievement in the pursuit of new opportunities for continuous medical education. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of international collaborations among Spanish-speaking Latin American institutions and radiologists through a survey.

Materials and methods: A group of radiologists and institutions from various countries, including the USA, Spain, and Argentina, who have been working together for several years to improve Radiology education across Latin America, were selected. An online survey was conducted. The survey included questions about interest in the activities, participation, and impact of radiologic education during these educational efforts.

Results: The survey received responses from 166 participants, all of whom reported knowledge of at least one type of educational activity. The most well-known activity was ALAT Webinars. The primary motivators for participation were the quality of the content and the opportunity to learn new information. Additionally, improving local education in radiology and receiving expert advice on radiology issues were identified as priorities for participation in international collaborations. The Cronbach alpha coefficient was calculated for individual and global Likert questions, resulting in a global score of 0.96.

Conclusion: The study confirms the significance of a multifaceted approach to address gaps in radiology education. While traditional models have relied on hosting international visitors or sending US teachers abroad, the results suggest that using a variety of methods will have a greater impact than relying on a single technique for those who benefit most from collaborative efforts.

Keywords: Education; Education department; Global health; Hospital; International cooperation; Medical; Radiology department.