Staying current has never been so important — or so challenging. As medicine transforms, how are radiologists keeping up? Lifelong learning is critical to acquiring the cutting-edge knowledge and skills necessary for quality patient care in this rapidly evolving healthcare environment.1
Approximately two years ago, the ACR launched the Commission on Publications and Lifelong Learning (CoPLL) to guide the unique ACR learning environments. CoPLL is committed to designing meaningful professional development resources and experiences for the ACR membership, inclusive of all career stages and types of practice. Patient input and improved outcomes are priorities integral to program development by CoPLL.
The CoPLL commits to:
1. Continue to perform assessments to identify member needs;
2. Provide educational resources to close gaps in radiologic practice performance;
3. Equip members to meet challenges in areas such as, but not limited to, AI, data science, policy, economics, and quality improvement education;
4. Prioritize physician well-being, leadership, and advocacy collaborations; and
5. Produce educational resources for a broad audience, including medical students, residents, radiology professionals, interdisciplinary team members, and patients.
Since CoPLL’s launch, some of its successes have included:
Launch of the Radiology Well-Being Program
This program includes a collection of resources and activities to help radiologists, residents, and medical students take stock of their own level of well-being and offer ways to reduce the feelings of burnout often caused by situations outside of their control. All members have access to the Well-Being Index, which allows participants to anonymously self-evaluate their level of well-being and
access radiology-specific resources. The ACR Radiology Well-Being Program Workgroup is currently developing additional resources to create a culture of well-being in the workplace.
Future Practice Management Session
At ACR 2019, the Future Practice Management CME session featured TED-style presentations on critical issues such as AI, burnout, and corporatization by Tessa S. Cook, MD, PhD, Jonathan B. Kruskal, MD, PhD, FACR, Richard E. Heller III, MD, MBA, Kurt A. Schoppe, MD, and Marta E. Heilbrun, MD, MS.
Collaboration Between ACR and the AMA’s Ed Hub
The ACR became the AMA’s first medical specialty society content partner to offer education on their Ed Hub platform in early 2019. A selection of free ACR content is being hosted on the AMA Ed Hub and is now accessible to all learners, regardless of AMA and ACR membership status, as part of the AMA and ACR’s collective mission to educate physicians and healthcare teams. Learners can find, participate in, and claim credit for these ACR activities directly through the new platform.
Continued Success of CPI
The Continuous Professional Improvement (CPI) program successfully released seven new modules in 2019, including modules in Chest Radiology, Nuclear Radiology, US, Pediatric Radiology, Musculoskeletal Radiology, Breast Imaging, and a special edition module in Adult Cancer Imaging.
Education Center Course Offerings
The ACR Education Center is offering 52 sessions in its 2019–2020 year from its selection of 19 courses, including Neuroradiology, Cardiac MR, Breast Imaging With Tomosynthesis,
Abdominal Imaging, Emergency Radiology, and Nuclear Medicine. A new Pediatric Radiology course was developed in conjunction with the Society for Pediatric Radiology and launched in November 2019.
Looking ahead to 2020 and beyond, CoPLL’s priorities include facilitating new collaborations, developing additional innovative ways to deliver continuous professional development content, and further ensuring that the wealth of resources ACR offers reaches our members. As the prevalence of burnout in our profession continues, we are committed to exploring ways to drive the changes necessary to promote wellness in radiology practice.2 Additionally, in collaboration with YPS, and chapter leaders, CoPLL and the Radiology Leadership Institute® are hosting a joint CME session at ACR 2020. We invite you to mark your calendars to join us for Brave New Work: How to Get Ahead and Meet Leadership Challenges in 2020 and Beyond on Saturday, May 16, from 8:00 a.m. – noon ET.