Canterbury Christ Church University

Canterbury Christ Church University has recently completed a comprehensive upgrade of its radiography simulation suites with state-of-the-art EIZO RadiForce monitors, ensuring that students train on the same equipment that they work with when they attend their clinical placements, taking place throughout the course. Multiple rooms within the Verena Holmes building have been equipped with EIZO monitors, including the primary lecture room which contains over 30 EIZO screens networked together allowing each student to review the same image in real-time with their lecturer.

James Elliott, the Undergraduate Course Director, and Lisa Pittock, Senior Lecturer and pathway leader for the Postgraduate Clinical Reporting (musculoskeletal) course, bring over 30 years of combined experience in both NHS and Private sectors. They continue to practice professionally, bringing real-world insights into the classroom and educating almost 250 students each year.

James tells us: “The Bachelor's degree provides students with the ability to interpret radiographs and prepares them for their professional career. The course covers the fundamentals of diagnostic radiography and the ability to interpret an X-ray, commonly known as a radiograph, through work in hospitals in and around Kent. Students are assessed on their ability to perform radiographs starting with ambulatory patients who can follow instructions. In the third year of study, students are expected to take images of patients who may be injured or require adapted techniques, such as those who are very young, old, incapacitated or otherwise unable to respond to commands (hold movements or positions).

“EIZO RadiForce monitors play a crucial role in the curriculum, where we integrate the monitors into several modules, starting with the assessment of radiographs, initially for quality assessment before moving on to pathology or trauma assessment, and finally in the third year, where they come into contact with CT scans to develop a basic awareness of how to recognize pathologies or trauma for clinical practice. This is essential to their professional development as it equips them to provide a professional opinion on radiographs, a skill that is further refined in postgraduate training.”

“Throughout the course, students will spend about 40% of their time working in clinical settings. In addition, they will complete phases of simulated learning in our X-ray room or simulation suites. We have a complete simulation station that we provide for nursing students, but also for all other health professionals, to improve their learning. At the end of their foundation studies, students should be able to explain their interpretation of radiographs to other health professionals, while the postgraduate courses add the element of formal written diagnosis.”

“At the end of the undergraduate course, one of the course objectives is that the students are confidently able to explain to another healthcare professional what they are seeing in the x-ray, while the postgraduate course adds the element of formal, written diagnosis based on the content of the image.”

“Graduates from Canterbury Christ Church University’s Diagnostic Radiography degree learn the skills and knowledge required to gain registration with the Health and Care Professionals Council. Registration is mandatory for those wishing to work within the United Kingdom and confers the use of the protected title as a Diagnostic Radiographer. The vast majority [of our students] go straight into practice, having secured employment before they graduate.”

From the first stages of the undergraduate course through their practical work experience, and should they progress on to the postgraduate course, each stage is designed to provide an ongoing development of their diagnostic skills. This allows students to recognize a wide range of conditions, understanding potential red flags that might require further and more specialist intervention from other fields and experts. As Lisa outlines, “Many people think that x-rays are used to diagnose broken bones, but they can do so much more. We can identify wider health issues through anomalies in bone density, areas of increased calcification of joints, etc. Reporting radiographers help to further diagnostic capacity and support in optimizing patient pathways. Our undergraduate students are not expected to know every possible problem, but we help them to be able to identify the things that are outside of the normal parameters.”

Practical experience is a critical element to the postgraduate, with each applicant expected to have clinical workplace experience prior to starting the course. Lisa started lecturing after 20 years of clinical experience and explains the importance of the clinical experience and what the postgraduate program covers, “Our course is designed for radiographers seeking to advance their careers by gaining the legal authority to report on medical imaging for a wide range of different imaging modalities. All our students are radiographers, working almost exclusively within the NHS. The courses offered include musculoskeletal, chest, and MRI reporting. All students have support from their Clinical Department for career progression in the knowledge that, on successful completion of their course, they’ll then be able to write reports in clinical practice. Within the education setting at CCCU we need to be able to replicate the clinical reporting environment and that’s what the EIZO screens do, they give us the quality of image display that we require.”

The EIZO monitors are essential in replicating the clinical environment, as Lisa highlights, “The image quality provided by these screens is critical for our training. We’ve been pioneers in reporting education since the 1990s. My predecessor worked with the Society of Radiographers to develop a reporting course in the UK, so we are proud of our position within the education system for our Diagnostic Radiographers. Our unique offering includes specialized MRI reporting courses, such as MRI of the breast, which sets us apart from other universities.”

Canterbury Christ Church University’s decision to select EIZO RadiForce monitors was guided by the specifications set by the Royal College of Radiologists. They currently have over 35 monitors used by their students during lectures and practical workshops. Lisa recalls, “We are extremely satisfied with our selection. We know that with the EIZO monitors we are able to replicate clinical environments within the classroom, which gives our students the confidence when they go out for their clinical experience.”

The training of the next generation of Diagnostic Radiographers is a critical component of the Healthcare environment within the UK, and Canterbury Christ Church University and EIZO are working together to ensure that every student is given an opportunity to learn and work in an environment that will equip them for their professional career.

Canterbury Christ Church University has selected the EIZO RadiForce RX350 and RX360 for their primary lecture theatre and has also selected the RadiForce RX560 as part of their screen real estate.

* Figures correct at the time of original publication, December 2024.