Courses and Schedule

ASRT@RSNA 2024 Courses

Earn up to 8 continuing education credits on courses presented during ASRT@RSNA. Each course is approved for 1 Category A+ CE credit.

Your registration also includes access to the Associated Sciences Program and the RSNA Technical Exhibits.

Course
Date
Time
Speaker

Tuesday, Dec. 3

  • Artificial Intelligence in Radiology: Exploring the Radiologic Technologist’s Role

    11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

    Kori Stewart, Ph.D., R.T.(R)(CT), CIIP

    Description

    The integration of informatics and imaging significantly impacts how radiologic technologists care for patients. This session provides an overview of artificial intelligence and how it is impacting radiology and radiologic technologists. Attendees will learn why it is imperative to understand informatics applications and AI’s role and function in health care’s daily operations. The speaker will discuss current innovations and forthcoming applications of informatics and AI, including a look into the future of informatics and its impact on patient-centered care.


    Objectives

    • Define and differentiate between clinical informatics, imaging informatics, artificial intelligence and machine learning in radiology.
    • Clearly interpret informatics’ impact on radiology and develop a deeper understanding of the use of AI in radiology.
    • Identify the need to understand informatics and AI applications and the role of both in radiology.
    • Discuss current and future applications of informatics and AI in medical imaging.
  • The Radiographer’s Role in Patient Pathways: Facilitator or Passenger

    1:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m.

    Beverly Snaith, Ph.D., PgD, PgC, FCR

    Description

    Imaging is a critical component in elective, acute and emergency pathways. Although radiographers are often bystanders in pathway redesign, they can take a proactive role to ensure patients receive the optimal diagnosis in a timely manner. This session explores examples from practice to examine how radiographers can lead in improving patient care and services.


    Objectives

    • Consider how imaging fits into patient pathways
    • Discuss how radiographers can be influential in pathway improvement.
    • Learn from examples in practice to optimize the radiographer’s contribution.
  • Patient Partnerships — Journey to Implementation in Academic Programs

    3:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.

    Jennifer L. Brown, M.Ed., MRT(R)

    Description

    In diagnostic imaging, the patient is at the center of what we do and why we do it. Technology continues to advance and improve care; however, the human element will always be the most critical part of our role. In the past 20 years, there has been a greater focus on patient and family-centered care in our health care systems and that is filtering into education programs as well. Traditionally, postsecondary education programs focus on students and their needs. However, the re-emphasizing of the patient voice has shifted the culture in our programs. This session looks at the journey a postsecondary education program in Canada is taking to implement the patient voice and perspective into its curriculum. The speaker will discuss the importance of the patient voice in education and how to balance that with students’ needs. Attendees will learn about the framework, tools and committees created to provide structure and guidance for the faculty during implementation. The speaker will describe patient partnership models in health care and how those models were used as a foundation to develop patient partnerships in education. Attendees will discover ways to work with patients through co-learning, co-creating, co-developing and sharing.


    Objectives

    • Summarize the importance of patient partnerships in health care education.
    • Share insights on implementing patient partnerships into academic programs.
    • Discuss current patient partnership activities in imaging programs.
 

Wednesday, Dec. 4

  • Thriving in an Environment of Accelerating Change: A Survival Guide for Breast Imaging Teams

    8:00 a.m.-9:00 a.m.

    Sarah Jacobs, B.S., R.T.(R)(M)(CT)

    Description

    This session provides an overview of how breast imaging technologies have changed over the last several years, bringing challenges, opportunities and growth to breast imaging teams across the globe. The speaker will share methods for minimizing burnout and stress in a physically and emotionally demanding environment, using new technologies, focusing on proper ergonomics and enhancing communication skills.


    Objectives

    • Understand how breast imaging technologies and tools have changed over the last several years, bringing challenges, opportunities and growth to breast imaging teams.
    • Discover methods for minimizing burnout and stress caused by a physically and emotionally demanding environment
    • Identify steps in the Guide to Thrive toolkit to overcome challenges and embrace opportunities in an environment of accelerating change.
  • Managing the Pediatric Patient

    9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m.

    Jason K. Lee, M.S.R.S., R.R.A., R.T.(R)(CT), RPA(CBRPA)

    Description

    Although health care encompasses all ages, the pediatric population often feels afraid and anxious in the health care environment. White coat syndrome is when the patient experiences anxiety around physicians and the patient’s blood pressure subsequently rises. Pediatric patients can feel anxious and scared because they don’t know what is going to happen or the procedure that’s going to take place, and they may fear pain from the needle placement. This session provides education on how to interpret the patients’ feelings through their facial expressions and understand their age specific needs. Attendees will learn about the child life specialist role, patient education and distraction techniques, and how teamwork can support the best experience possible for pediatric patients.


    Objectives

    • Recognize the pediatric patient’s feelings through facial expressions.
    • Understand the role of the child life specialist.
    • Recognize tips and tricks to avoid procedure sedation.
    • Identify how to increase pediatric patient satisfaction.
  • Understanding Imaging for Patient Selection in Mechanical Thrombectomy

    11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

    Olivia Sanders, B.Sc. (Hons)

    Description

    The criteria for selecting patients for mechanical thrombectomy has changed significantly in recent years due to the evolving landscape of evidence and imaging techniques. This session provides radiographers with information regarding the latest imaging techniques and standards for mechanical thrombectomy patient selection. The speaker will use selected clinical cases to illustrate the different imaging modalities and established protocols. The session aims to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application, providing radiographers with the tools to improve patient care in acute ischemic stroke.


    Objectives

    • Understand the clinical and imaging criteria for selecting patients for mechanical thrombectomy.
    • Analyze clinical data to identify suitable candidates for the different imaging modalities.
    • Understand recent advancements in imaging that aid in patient selection.
    • Apply this knowledge to clinical scenarios.
  • Breaking Down the Barriers to Quality Control

    1:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m.

    Ryan E. Misseldine, M.B.A., R.T.(N)(MR), CNMT

    Description

    Quality control requirements for radiologic imaging equipment have changed significantly over the past 20 years. The advent of new imaging systems and hybridized imaging equipment now requires competency in multiple imaging modalities. This session discusses how quality control has evolved over the past 20 years, including quality control before American College of Radiology accreditation and Joint Commission-required testing, machine- and modality-specific quality control, the benefits of quality control standards, regulatory and accrediting body requirements, and continuous quality improvement strategies for radiologic imaging equipment. Attendees will learn how to incorporate what they know about their modality’s principles in accuracy, constancy, geometry, linearity and reproducibility and apply that knowledge to hybridized systems and new technology. The speaker will provide data on how to improve quality control, offer continuous quality improvement resources and rationale for future process improvement, and give strategies for ACR and Joint Commission compliance.


    Objectives

    • Explain changes in required imaging equipment quality control before ACR accreditation and Joint Commission-required testing.
    • Identify similarities in imaging equipment quality control processes between different imaging systems.
    • Learn how to interpret quality control data and demonstrate how to apply working knowledge in quality control across multiple imaging modalities.
    • Present rationale for changes in radiology departments.
    • Discuss future directions in quality control and continuous quality improvement.
  • Milestones in CT: Past, Present and Future

    3:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.

    Cynthia H. McCollough, Ph.D., FAAPM, FACR, FAIMBE

    Description

    Since its invention in the 1970s, computed tomography has undergone numerous technical developments and innovations that have established it as an indispensable tool in the practice of medicine. Multiple CT scanner geometries, or generations, have existed, and with each new generation of technology, the speed and spatial resolution of CT increases, enabling new clinical applications and decreasing the required doses of radiation and iodinated contrast media. Technical developments such as shorter gantry rotation times, multiple detector rows, multisector reconstructions, and dual-source technologies have increased the quality and robustness of cardiac CT. Meanwhile, radiation doses in CT have been reduced using tube current modulation, lower tube potential, beam-shaping filters, beam collimation and iterative reconstruction algorithms. Recently, photon-counting detectors have been introduced into commercial CT systems to provide increased spatial resolution and multi-energy CT imaging from a single acquisition. This session reviews these and other major milestones in CT imaging.


    Objectives

    • Summarize major technical developments in CT over the past five decades.
    • Describe specific changes that have occurred to decrease the radiation dose associated with CT.
    • Review key developments that enabled cardiac CT.
    • Explain what is unique about photon-counting CT.