Continuing Qualifications Requirement (CQR) keeps surfacing in discussions within the medical imaging community, sparking some thoughts on its purpose and ongoing relevance. I have often thought about why ARRT implemented CQR. Even though CQR has been around for years now, it is important to continue the discussion.
The purpose of CQR is to help practitioners maintain and sharpen their knowledge and skills to ultimately provide the best care to our patients. I feel we should be looking at CQR as another outlet for continuing and updating our education. I can remember when ARRT implemented continuing education and how that created an outcry from all medical imaging professionals. At that time, technology was soaring and affecting us as practitioners. Technological advancements directed the amount of time we spent with patients. The challenge became, how can we bring this technology and incorporate it within our care of patients?
After we complete the traditional education and pathway training, continuing education helps us stay up to date. Technology will continue to change and advance in our profession, so we need continuing education to provide better patient care. My own practice has turned upside down by the new technology that allowed me to go from hand dipping radiographs to completely digitized images. Continuing education helps the ‘seasoned’ technologist learn new technology and how to incorporate that technology into daily practice.
Looking back at how imaging techniques shifted from the traditional to digital formats, it’s clear that continuing education played a big role in helping professionals like me adjust to these changes. The three-year window for CQR completion involves assessing professional profiles, spotting knowledge gaps, and suggesting specific educational modules. This tailored approach ensures that the suggested learning fits each person’s practice, promoting professional development and raising the bar for patient care standards.
The first section is your professional profile, which will help you identify what procedures you perform and how often you perform them. Your experience will be compared with others in your discipline. The professional profile will help us to evaluate ourselves and see where we need education. Whereas we use to access education by doing quizzes or attending conferences, which contained content that may or may not apply to our practice.
Next is the structured self-assessment, which helps identify gaps in your knowledge related to your credentials. This is not a test, but rather a tool to help you see what areas you need structured education in. There is no way to pass or fail the structured self-assessment.
Finally, prescribed continuing education will be assigned to you based on the previous sections of your profile. These prescribed CE’s will help elevate your practice and the care of your patients. They are assigned to better you as a technologist and help improve you in your career.
Continuing education remains pivotal in healthcare, helping professionals stay updated, refine skills, and ensure top-notch patient care. Healthcare is ever evolving; we must maintain proficiency so we can continue to serve our patients to the best of our ability.
