AJR 2005; 184:Siii-Siv
© American Roentgen Ray Society
A New Peer-Reviewed Publication from the American Roentgen Ray Society
Felix S. Chew, MD, Associate Editor
AJR Integrative Imaging
fchew{at}u.washington.edu
Abstract
AJR Integrative Imaging is a new, quarterly, peer-reviewed
publication that will provide accredited continuing medical education and
American Board of Radiology-qualified self-assessment modules in support of
lifelong learning and maintenance of certification for diagnostic
radiologists.
It has been nearly a century since the American Roentgen Ray Society
(ARRS) started a new peer-reviewed publication: why begin another one now? To
put it simply, the new supplement fills a critical need of the ARRS membership
that no other journal currently addresses. Some background is in order. The
American Board of Radiology (ABR) was formed in 1934 and within that same year
began issuing lifetime certificates that attested to the competence of
specialists in radiology. One of the explicit purposes of the ABR in issuing
these certificates was "protecting the public against irresponsible and
unqualified practitioners who profess to be specialists in radiology"
[1]. Following the lead of
other medical specialties, the ABR discontinued the issuance of lifetime
certificates in diagnostic radiology after 2001 and began issuing 10-year
time-limited certificates in 2002
[1-2].
These actions recognized that career-long continuing professional development
is required to maintain high-quality patient care, and that the public has
come to demand tangible evidence of such professional development.
The process by which a diplomate will maintain his or her time-limited ABR
certification is called "Maintenance of Certification," or
ABR-MOC. The ABR-MOC program has four parts: (1) professional standing, (2)
lifelong learning and self-assessment, (3) cognitive expertise, and (4)
assessment of performance in practice. It is in the second part, lifelong
learning and self-assessment, where the new journal will have its role. The
purpose of AJR Integrative Imaging will be to provide ARRS members,
and the specialty of radiology in general, with enduring lifelong learning and
self-assessment that are suitable for the ABR-MOC program and accessible on a
continuing basis. The second part of the ABR-MOC program calls for
radiologists to complete 20 ABR-qualified Self-Assessment Modules (SAMs) and
obtain 500 approved CME credits (at least 250 in Category 1) within their
10-year window of existing certification. Each issue of AJR Integrative
Imaging will include at least one article that has been accredited by the
ARRS for Category 1 CME credit and has also been qualified by the ABR as a
SAM.
There are several compelling reasons why the ARRS has chosen a
peer-reviewed journal as one vehicle for delivering lifelong learning and
self-assessment material. First, we want to assure our readers that the
material will be authoritative and relevant, that it will be prepared by
experts who are also educators, and that it will be rigorously peer-reviewed.
Second, our publishing experience is directly applicable to AJR
Integrative Imaging with respect to the mechanics of manuscript
submission, peer review, copy-editing, production, printing, binding, and
distribution. Third, this material will be widely available in libraries and
on the world-wide web, and will be retrievable via the National Library of
Medicine's Medline, the Science Citation Index, and various internet search
engines. The credibility of the peer review process and the accessibility of
the material will allow public and professional scrutiny, reassuring both that
radiologists are maintaining the requisite standard of knowledge, skill, and
understanding that is essential to practice. We have already recruited over
150 radiologists to serve as peer reviewers who are not only experts in their
respective fields of radiology but also have a special interest in radiology
education.
AJR Integrative Imaging will be published as a quarterly
supplement to the American Journal of Roentgenology, arriving in the
same wrapper and sharing the same website. How are they different? The
AJR is primarily a forum for the presentation and discussion of
clinical research in diagnostic radiology, focusing on state-of-the-art
information of practical importance to the radiologist in clinical practice.
In contrast to this, AJR Integrative Imaging will be focused on
continuing medical education and self-assessment, featuring articles that are
different from those in the AJR. These articles will be one of four
types:
- ABR-qualified self-assessment modules with Category 1 CME credit; these may
be case-based educational modules that allow the reader to review, exercise,
self-assess, and improve his or her skills in the practice of diagnostic
radiology, evidence-based educational modules that discuss clinical management
issues; or clinically- or pathophysiology-based pictorial essays or
reviews;
- radiological reasoning exercises, which will feature case presentations
that guide the reader through an expert's analysis of a complex case;
- case reports for sharing the unique observations of a broadly-based pool of
authors; and
- illustrated teaching file cases for review and self-assessment.
Will AJR Integrative Imaging be relevant to those of us with
lifetime certificates? The ABR is strongly encouraging all diplomates, even
those with lifetime certificates, to participate in ABR-MOC as a means of
professional development that can be trusted by the public and by professional
peers. There may come a time when medical facilities, third-party payers, or
state licensing agencies begin to require their radiologists provide evidence
of continuing competence through a program such as ABR-MOC. It makes sense,
therefore, that the vision for AJR Integrative Imaging encompasses
not only the pragmatic need for MOC on the part of a few but also lifelong
learning and self-assessment for all practicing
radiologists.
I encourage any radiologist who wishes to become involved with AJR
Integrative Imaging to contact me or the ARRS. Peer reviewers, authors,
and even critics are welcome to join us. It is a rare privilege for me to
serve my profession in this way.
References
- Madewell JE, Hattery RR, Thomas SR, Kun LE, Becker GJ, Merritt C,
Davis LW. Maintenance of certification. AJR2005; 184:3
-10[Free Full Text]
- Stanley RJ. Earning and maintaining the public trust.
AJR 2004;182:847[Free Full Text]
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