Broadening the perspective on radiography education

The environment within which diagnostic radiographers work is in a state of continual flux. Some of this change originates from the rapidly evolving technologies which radiographers utilise. In 1990, Stephen Barley hypothesised that changing technology affects roles, relationships and networks within organisations. In this article we suggest that changing technologies have had an important impact on the role of the radiographer. Furthermore, that this change results in shifting skill requirements for practicing diagnostic radiographers. Therefore, it is important that newly qualified staff are adequately prepared by their academic institutions to engage with these changing roles. Given the current political and economic context, we suggest that there are key management principles which ought to be considered as candidates for integration into modern radiography curricula. We identify three key subject areas where this integration might be successfully achieved: interprofessional learning modules; imaging technology modules; and the research project.