RSNA conducted a survey to gather information on the international educational outreach programs in radiology.

Background:

With the establishment of the World Council of Radiology by the ISR, embracing all the major trans-national radiological organizations, as well as initiatives in international radiological education, it is time to take stock of the status quo in this context.
The World Health Organization, in conjunction with the International Society of Radiology and with the leadership of Drs. Harald Østensen and Holger Pettersson, has developed an admirable program consisting of pedagogical materials and physician support.
More recently, the International Atomic Energy Agency has considered the needs for diagnostic imaging world-wide including more technologically developed nations in which imaging is crucial to treatment planning for cancer therapy.
In parallel, the continental radiological societies, particularly RSNA and EAR, as well as some national societies, such as those in Australia and France, have recognized needs in their own spheres.
Some individuals, notably Dr. Barry Goldberg at the University of Philadelphia, have undertaken imaginative programs in outreach, often gaining national support in such initiatives (in this case from RSNA Research and Education Fund).
As the world of scholarship and education shrinks by virtue of the electronic tools available, it is appropriate for the international leadership in radiology to look to future trans-national needs. Given that resources are always likely to be limited, the best use of those resources can only be planned if there is a clear understanding of where we are in this context and what has been achieved to date. Such an inventory will serve as the basis for collaborative planning and rational resource use. Such an inventory might also serve as a basis for seeking enhanced support from international agencies.
McLuhan articulated the idea of an electronic village. His insight was correct but his metaphor wrong. We have instead an electronic world with all of its potential to serve the widest possible community of both patients and physicians. That will only happen given concerted and, to the extent possible, unbiased effort.

The International Educational Outreach Survey results can be downloaded as a pdf document or only viewed at: http://www.rsna.org/international/survey/outreach_survey.

Attachments
Outreach Survey