What Does Competence Entail in Interventional Radiology?

Abstract

Interventional radiology is a relatively new speciality and may be referred to as "image-guided surgery without a scalpel". Training and accreditation bodies regard interventional radiology training as being "different" from general radiology because of the additional need for dexterity and clinical acumen. Due to the multidimensional role of an interventional radiologist, a practitioner in this discipline must have a number of the competencies of anesthetists, surgeons, and radiologists. The attributes required of an interventional radiologist are akin to those required of a surgeon. This paper gives an overview of the skills required to be a competent interventional radiologist along with a succinct introduction to methods of assessment of technical and non-technical skills.

Training, assessment and accreditation in surgery

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Lessons from surgery and anaesthesia: evaluation of non-technical skills in interventional radiology

“…A study by Ahmed et al. 14 suggested that patient safety in IR relied on many elements including the competence of non-technical skills. The authors proposed NTS domains, which included knowledge, communication skills, cognitive skills, decision-making, mental readiness, ability to cope with stress and teamwork.…”

Development of workflow task analysis during cerebral diagnostic angiographies: Time-based comparison of junior and senior tasks

“…Objective assessment of interventional or surgical procedures includes analysis of different components such as technical or cognitive skills, knowledge, communication, mental readiness, ability to cope with stress, decision making, and team work [1]. Such assessment is usually based on simulation systems, such as bench models, live animals, cadavers, or virtual simulators.…”