The Current State of Gender Discrimination and Sexual Harassment in the Radiology Workplace: A Survey.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: Our objectives were (1) to determine the extent to which gender discrimination and sexual harassment are experienced by female radiologists and trainees; (2) to examine whether experiencing harassment or discrimination influences perceptions of gender parity; and (3) to explore whether the existence of either formal institutional policies or the number of women in the workplace and/or in leadership positions influences perceptions of having achieved gender equity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An online anonymous questionnaire, developed through an Association of University Radiologists (AUR) - affiliated 2019-2020 Task Force, was used to assess participant demographics, perceptions of gender parity, and experiences of gender discrimination and sexual harassment. RESULTS: A total of 375 complete responses were collected. All respondents were female with most practices consisting of fewer than 25% female radiologists. The majority of respondents reported having been a victim of sexual harassment (n = 226, 60.3%) and gender discrimination (n = 318, 84.8%) in the workplace. Approximately 87.5% of participants believed workplace gender parity would take longer than 10 years to achieve; 26.9% responded that it will never happen. Experiencing gender discrimination or harassment in the workplace was significantly associated with a negative outlook on achieving gender parity. Conversely, the presence and number of adequate formal institutional policies to address workplace gender equity and harassment were significantly associated with optimistic views on achieving gender parity. Higher percentages of women in one's practice as well as number of women in leadership positions were also significantly associated with more optimistic expectations. CONCLUSION: Gender discrimination and sexual harassment are common in the field of radiology and influence victims' outlook on achieving gender parity in the workplace. Perceptions can be improved by implementing adequate institutional training policies on harassment and increasing the representation of female radiologists.

You Too? Female Radiologists' Narratives on Discrimination and Harassment.

BACKGROUND: There is a paucity of examples of gender discrimination and sexual harassment in radiology. This lack of knowledge can limit radiologists' ability to relate to this topic, acknowledge its importance and impact, and take actions toward improvement. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a qualitative analysis using the model of thematic analysis developed by Braun and Clarke of narrative responses to a survey on the topic of #MeToo, which was distributed to a social media group of female radiologists. RESULTS: In all, 575 anonymous survey responses from 3,265 social media group members were analyzed. Among these responses, the study team identified important themes with examples, including Victims and Perpetrators, Acts of Gender Discrimination, Inequalities, Sexual Harassment and Assault, and Microaggressions. CONCLUSION: The narratives provide relatable examples of gender discrimination and sexual harassment in radiology. These may spark discussions that raise awareness among radiologists and result in interventions geared toward improvement.

Gender Parity Does Not Equal Gender Equity: Continued Sexism in Medical Literature.

A recently retracted article discussing professionalism and young surgeons incites a social media storm on continued sexism in medical literature in 2020.

Social media's role in the perception of radiologists and artificial intelligence.

Social media are impacting all industries and changing the way daily interactions take place. This has been notable in health care as it allows a mechanism to connect patients directly to physicians, advocacy groups, and health care information. Recently, the development of artificial intelligence (AI) applications in radiology has drawn media attention. This has generated a conversation on social media about the expendable role of a radiologist. Often, articles in the lay press have little medical expertise informing opinions about artificial intelligence in radiology. We propose solutions for radiologists to take the lead in the narrative on social media about the role of AI in radiology to better inform and shape public perception about the role of AI in radiology.

Prospective analysis of an interprofessional team training program using high-fidelity simulation of contrast reactions.

OBJECTIVE: Successful management of a contrast reaction requires prompt recognition and treatment and effective team dynamics among radiologists, technologists, and nurses. A radiology department implemented a simulation program in which teams of nurses, technologists, and physicians managed simulated contrast reactions. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether simulation improved the participants' abilities to manage a contrast reaction and work in a team during an emergency. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Physicians, nurses, and technologists worked in inter-professional teams to manage two high-fidelity simulated adverse contrast reactions. Participants completed surveys before and after the simulation that included knowledge-based questions about the appropriate management of contrast reactions. Surveys also included questions for assessing participants' perceptions of their ability to manage adverse contrast reactions, measured with a 6-point Likert scale. Before and after comparisons were made with the McNemar test with a Bonferroni correction requiring p ≤ 0.003 for significance. For the other analyses, p ≤ 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: After completion of the simulation exercises, participants had significant improvement in knowledge (p < 0.001). After the simulation, participants reported significant improvement in their ability to manage an anaphylactoid reaction and their ability to work in a team (p < 0.00001). Participants requested repeat simulation exercises every 6-12 months. CONCLUSION: Simulation exercises improved the self-reported ability of radiology personnel to manage contrast reactions and work in a team during an emergency. Simulation should be incorporated into future educational initiatives to improve patient safety in radiology practices.

Ureteral tear at the ureteropelvic junction: a complication of liposuction.

We report the case of a 47-year-old woman who presented to the emergency room with gross hematuria during liposuction of the abdomen. Computed tomography (CT) using hematuria protocol demonstrated extravasation of contrast at the right ureteropelvic junction and a small urinoma in the right perinephric space. The diagnosis of ureteral tear at the ureteropelvic junction (UPJ) was confirmed. A ureteral stent was placed at surgery. Visceral injuries and other complications associated with liposuction have been described. However, this is the first reported case of a ureteral tear related to liposuction.

Spontaneous osteonecrosis of the knee.

Spontaneous osteonecrosis of the knee presents with acute onset of severe, pain in elderly patients, usually female and usually without a history of trauma. Originally described as idiopathic osteonecrosis, the exact etiology is still debated. Evidence suggests that an acute fracture occurs as a result of chronic stress or minor trauma to a weakened subchondral bone plate. The imaging characteristics on MR reflect the age of the lesion and the symptoms. More appropriate terminology may be " subchondral insufficiency fracture of the knee" or "focal subchondral osteonecrosis".

Imaging of pseudoneoplastic masses associated with allografts.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to describe the imaging features of non-neoplastic masses suspected of being tumor recurrences adjacent to allografts. The allografts were utilized for the treatment of various musculoskeletal tumors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed the medical records and imaging studies of 56 patients who were suspected of having recurrent tumors following surgical resection and allograft replacement treatment for a variety of musculoskeletal neoplasms. The imaging modalities included radiographs, CT, and MRI. RESULTS: There were 47 cases of recurrent tumors. All tumor recurrences were in the soft tissues of the surgical bed (41 patients), or in the native bone adjacent to the host/allograft junction (6 patients). None of the recurrences originated in the allografts. Nine patients suspected of having recurrences were discovered to have non-neoplastic masses. Five of these were very closely related to the allograft, wrapping around parts of the allograft, and the other 4 were in the surgical bed, 2 of which were abscesses and two were seromas. CONCLUSION: Most masses arising in the vicinity of allografts implanted following resection of musculoskeletal tumors represent recurrent neoplasms. A minority are reactive processes or abscesses or fluid collections. These "pseudoneoplasms," specifically those closely related to the allografts, have specific imaging characteristics that help distinguish them from recurrent tumors.