Money Matters
If the CARE bill passes next year, not only will it create standardized licensing procedures, it will also help quell some of the other issues bedeviling radiologic technologists: pay, professional respect, and advancement.
The Summit on Radiological Sciences and Sonography reported in April that one of the main issues troubling RTs is how they are perceived by other members of the medical community. The image of radiologic technology needs to be transformed from that of a closed-ended vocational job to that of a true professional career, according to Lynn May, CEO of the ASRT. The CARE bill may help create such an image shift by establishing educational standards, thus garnering respect from the medical field.
Currently, the only way that an RT can make a career advancement is by learning another, more specialized, procedure, such as MR or CT. Beyond that, advancement means moving into management or sales positions, which usually translates into leaving radiology.
"Our techs find themselves in a high-pressure situation, performing highly skilled tasks, with little chance to advance salaries," said Dr. C. Douglas Phillips, associate professor in the department of radiology, neurosurgery, and otolaryngology at the University of Virginia Health Systems of Charlottesville, VA. "Moving [an RT] to a managerial position hurts my department and my patients. I lose a highly skilled technologist whom I then have to replace."
Ideally, Phillips would like to see a large CT/MRI technologist training program initiated in which trainees could forego tuition by providing a commitment to remain at the practice for a few years. He also is adamant about adding technologist support personnel, allowing techs to do their work without having to answer phones or do scheduling.
One RT, many suitors
In an ironic twist, opportunities for RTs are burgeoning -- outside of the field. The information technology boom has promoted some into more lucrative technology fields where they can potentially earn twice the salary of an RT. Teleradiology is another area that beckons RTs, leading to turf wars between hospitals and telehealth providers.
"The future opportunities are in computer applications areas such as PACS," said Clements of Kapiolani Community College. "A multicompetent radiographer with at least a baccalaureate degree and computer skills will be in big demand. I see this type of person as leading the medical industry in the next century."
The encroachment of non-radiology specialists -- orthopedic surgeons, cardiologists -- into the field has created doctors who don’t need radiologists to interpret images, but do need RTs to run the equipment (Radiology, August 1999, Vol.212:2, pp.301-304).
"[These companies] are often hiring more techs, leading to our subsequent shortage here at major medical centers," Phillips said. "In some markets there is terrific competition for a few techs. The increasing numbers of imaging services are drawing from a fairly static, slowly growing number of technologists."
Filling the RT void
But what's being done to help expand the RT pool and restore some balance? The ASRT Education and Research Foundation has begun addressing the situation by providing funding for a recruitment video, initiating a minority scholarship fund, and developing a workplace survey to study the healthcare environment of today, Olmstead said.
The JCERT Committee on Educational Programs in Nuclear Medicine Technology has launched a "supersized" accreditation process in multiple modalities. The multicompetency programs (MCPs) would allow RT graduates to meet professional practice requirements in both traditional radiology and nuclear medicine.
"I encourage the graduates of our program to further their education and become multicompetent technologists," Clements said. "It is a natural progression…that is helpful to the patient, the department, and the radiographer. It usually means a higher level of patient care at a reduced cost to the department."
Hospitals and radiology organizations are trying to improve the outlook for radiologic technologists. At Phillips' institution, they hope to incorporate performance bonuses and compensation based on length of employment. They have placed help-wanted ads, solicited schools, and even looked internationally. Phillips says the facility is now somewhat satisfied with the number MR technologists on staff, though they are still searching for CT techs.
Better compensation rates will go a long way toward enticing RTs back into the field, Clements said.
"I think students are interested in [radiologic technology] until they find out the poor return on their educational investment," he explained. "Pay -- or a lack thereof -- is a major issue."
For those already established in the field, the RTs who will survive the changes are those who are willing to pursue further education, develop their technical knowledge, and enhance their clinical and communication skills, said the ASRT's May.
By Amy B. OrecchioAuntMinnie.com contributing writer
November 6, 2000
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