Limited Scope X-ray White Paper

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Radiologic Technologists (RTs) are highly trained professionals with a broadscope of imaging skills who are in high demand across the US healthcarespectrum. Unfortunately, the supply of these professionals is significantlybelow the demand for their sophisticated array of skills – a situation that wasfurther exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

There is a solution to this problem that preserves patient safety and carequality, improves patient compliance and outcomes, keeps overall healthcarecosts low, and ensures Radiologic Technologists can utilize their full scope ofexpertise in the areas where that expertise is most needed. That solution isLimited Scope X-ray Licensure.

Full Description

Radiologic Technologists (RTs) are highly trained professionals with a broadscope of imaging skills who are in high demand across the US healthcarespectrum. Unfortunately, the supply of these professionals is significantlybelow the demand for their sophisticated array of skills – a situation that wasfurther exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Prior to the pandemic a 2019 survey by the American Society of RadiologicTechnologists (ASRT) revealed that radiology departments were 8.5%understaffed with radiographers. The Bureau of Labor and Statistics hasrecently outlined at least a 6% growth in demand – approximately 17,000positions annually – that will merely compound the existing shortage.This shortage is severely affecting smaller and more independent practices.Whereas large hospital or specialty organizations are able to offer inflatedlevels of compensation to ensure their imaging departments remain staffed,smaller healthcare providers cannot compete with these wages and arerunning out of solutions beyond that of curtailing or eliminating theirradiology services and redirecting patients to additional sites (often withhigher costs of care), and adding financial burden onto the entire healthcaresystem – and potentially forcing a compromise of patient care.There is a solution to this problem that preserves patient safety and carequality, improves patient compliance and outcomes, keeps overall healthcarecosts low, and ensures Radiologic Technologists can utilize their full scope ofexpertise in the areas where that expertise is most needed. That solution isLimited Scope X-ray Licensure.

Many states have already implemented Limited Scope licensure. Others allowfor it, but make it nearly unachievable, and many states have no solution at all.This paper advocates for Limited Scope x-ray licensure in those states whereregulations do not allow for it or the requirements make Limited Scopelicensure effectively unobtainable

Additional information

Format

White Paper

Source

Urgent Care Association

Contributor

Lou Ellen Horwitz, Christopher Nugent

Publication Date

12/21/2022

Length

15 minutes