There is much confusion about the prescribed continuing education credits and correct categories to satisfy the CQR requirements for each individual’s prescription RX. And the algorithms from ARRT changed again in June, 2021.  How is someone supposed to figure it out? And how hard is it to find the correct activities?

I recently read about the petition that is circulating to stop or remove the requirements for CQR among technologists that are active on social media. The petition, as of the end of July, is nearing the 7,500 signatures range.  It has become a social media phenomenon. Word of mouth is many times more effective than any formal publication and in the social arena, not many feel constrained to offer an opinion.

Trying to find answers for some of the questions we were receiving about activities sent me on a quest to figure out how to recommend educational activities to satisfy CQR prescriptions. Every prescription is individual. CQR generates an individualized prescription according to how you performed on your assessment in your modality. There are no standardized answers. This is not approached as we did structured education.

One of my questions was or is, continuing education is not supposed to be basic entry level education. Continuing education is lifelong learning or beyond the basic entry level education. Now CQR prescribed continuing education is basic skills as outlined in the modality category that your CQR assessment is prescribed to improve. The contents of the modality categories have shifted, and you may find the terms or names have been changed, but it still is the basic skills you should have studied before you took the registry examination.

I have always observed that the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists have not been great communicators. That has improved over the past several years as technology has improved reaching out to the certified technologists. Many times, the only method to obtain information about changes to certification was to call or now, posting at  www.arrt.org. Most certificate holders do not regularly visit the ARRT website for information. Information flow has improved over the past two years as annual communication is mailed and now emails are sent.

The education community was/is vastly unprepared for assisting technologists in obtaining the required CQR continuing education.  Technologists can be looking for unusual numbers of credits or may find an activity that is only designated for a fraction of a CE credit in a category and find that many hours may be required to obtain only a fraction of a credit.  It is extremely frustrating and may increase the cost significantly.

The backlash that has occurred from the implementation of CQR is closely related to the dissatisfaction occurring in society post pandemic and the growing attitude from radiologic technologists that they are being asked to do something that there is no benefit to them. There is no increased recognition, no increased salary or status. There is no ”WIFM” (What’s in it for me?)

We have launched an extreme effort internally to simplify our approach to providing CQR continuing education. We are striving to produce more content in smaller bundles that can be mixed and matched at a reasonable cost.  We will approach it as we did the TMB and other state’s requirements for the Human Trafficking modules. It may take us some time, but we will overcome.

Sincerely,

Marilyn H. Sackett, MEd. RT(R), FASRT
President Advanced Health Education Center

If you’re willing to share your CQR prescription with us so we can strive to make the process as simple as possible for all parties involved, please forward it to kkegley@aheconline.com or kreddix@aheconline.com.