A global evaluation of advanced practice recognition pathways for diagnostic radiography

Background: The implementation and acceptance of advanced practice roles in diagnostic radiography continues to evolve globally.1 Advanced practice can improve patient experience, opti- mise services, provide cost savings and improve job satisfaction.2 However, each nation travels on their own pathway somewhat in isolation due to regional differences in healthcare systems, educa- tion, professional practice, culture, policy and politics.3 Formalised professional recognition of advanced practice is a critical compo- nent to help promote and build a sustainable, transferable advanced practice workforce.2 Yet formal recognition of advanced practice in diagnostic radiography varies significantly between national professional societies.1

Objectives: This study aimed to explore formal recognition for advanced practice in diagnostic radiography by examining how national society pathways are designed, administered and assessed.

Methods: In-depth qualitative content analysis4 was conducted on open-source advanced practice pathway data extracted from national professional society websites. As public domain data, for- mal ethical approval was not required.5 Manual data searches were conducted on official national society landing pages only. Coding and thematic analysis of extracted data was an iterative process.

Results: Open-source advanced practice pathway data was extracted from national society medical radiation advanced practice pathways with significant heterogeneity globally. Several themes emerged during data analysis to include overarching rationale, diversity in scope, variation in characteristics and qualification requirements, and the advanced practice assessment process.

Conclusions: Open-source advanced practice pathway data pro- vides a global snapshot of current formalised recognition by national societies. There is significant heterogeneity in all aspects of formal recognition, which highlights the need for greater global collaboration.