Mark F McEntee

University College Cork | UCC · Department of Medicine

Introduction: This work aims to explore radiation doses delivered in screening mammography in Australia, with a focus on whether compressed breast thickness should be used as a guide when determining patient derived diagnostic reference levels (DRLs). Methods: Anonymized mammograms (52,405) were retrieved from a central database, and DICOM heade...

Aims To investigate the research impact of active medical radiation science (MRS) researchers and the research output of MRS institutions globally. Methods An iterative search strategy was used to firstly identify productive MRS authors and then examine their productivity over a 5-year period (January 1, 2010–December 31, 2014) using “SciVal” (Els...

Breast density is a measure of the extent of radiodense fibroglandular tissue in the breast. The risk of developing breast cancer and the risk of missing cancer at screening rise with higher breast density. In this paper, the historical background to breast density measurement is outlined and current evidence based practice is explained. The releva...

Digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) has gained acceptance as an adjunct to digital mammography (DM) in screening. Now that breast density reporting is mandated in several States in America, it is increasingly important that the methods of breast density measurement be robust, reliable and consistent. Breast density assessment with DBT needs some con...

Background Lower breast density (BD) is associated with lower risk of breast cancer and may serve as a biomarker for the efficacy of chemopreventive strategies. This review explores parameters that are thought to be associated with lower BD. We conducted a systematic review of articles published to date using the PRISMA strategy. Articles that asse...

This study aimed to systematically review the literature to synthesise and summarise the evidence surrounding the efficacy of artificial intelligence (AI) in classifying paediatric pneumonia on chest radiographs (CXRs). Following the initial search of studies that matched the pre-set criteria, their data were extracted using a data extraction tool,...

Background: Mobile X-ray unit have previously been widely used within hospitals in general, predominately for imaging patients admitted to intensive care units or for patients who cannot tolerate a visit to the radiology department. It is now possible to have an X-ray examination outside the hospital in nursing homes or to bring the service to fra...

Background: According to the literature, low back pain (LBP) is one of the top ten diseases and injuries contributing to disability-adjusted life years worldwide. To the best of the authors' knowledge there are no studies investigating the prevalence of LBP among radiographers working in Ireland or have compared prevalence rates with the national...

Introduction: Optimising clinical education in radiography is crucial to ensure competent graduates provide safe and effective patient care. Radiographers play a vital role in student supervision undertaken in the complex clinical environment. A greater understanding of factors influencing their ability to undertake this role effectively is needed...

Screening programmes identify people at risk of a health problem with the intention of commencing earlier treatment, where needed, to reduce mortality and morbidity. Focused on specific age groups, breast screening is offered in many countries and programmes differentiate between those at higher and lower risk of developing the disease. National br...

Introduction Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly utilised in medical imaging systems and processes, and radiographers must embrace this advancement. This study aimed to investigate perceptions, knowledge, and expectations towards integrating AI into medical imaging amongst a sample of radiographers and determine the current state of AI edu...

Introduction: The SARS-CoV-19 (COVID-19) pandemic has become a global problem but has affected the paediatric population less so than in adults. The clinical picture in paediatrics can be different to adults but nonetheless both groups have been subject to frequent imaging. The overall aim of this study was to comprehensively summarise the finding...

Ten priorities for AI adoption

Introduction: The Radiography Research Ethics Standards for Europe (RRESFE) project aims to provide a cross-sectional snapshot of current research ethics systems, processes, and awareness of such, across Europe together with identifying the associated challenges, education, and training needs. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey targeting r...

Introduction: The Radiography Research Ethics Standards for Europe (RRESFE) project aimed to provide a cross-sectional view of the current state of radiography research ethics across Europe. This included investigating education and training in research ethics, and identifying the key challenges and potential improvements associated with using exis...

Aim: To compare digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) and ultrasound in women recalled for assessment after a positive screening mammogram and assess the potential for each of these tools to reduce unnecessary biopsies. Methods: This data linkage study included 538 women recalled for assessment from January 2017 to December 2019. The association be...

The primary objective of this research is to Evaluate the efficacy of an Interprofessional Education (IPE) workshop for healthcare students which was designed to promote awareness of dementia the role of other healthcare professionals in caring for people with dementia appropriate communication strategies in caring for individuals with dementia in...

Introduction Healthcare workers have been particularly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, as have those educating them, albeit differently. Several papers have identified a gendered difference in the impact of the pandemic. This study aims to determine impact of COVID-19 on the health and wellbeing of Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy (MIRT) ac...

Purpose: To systematically review studies on the effectiveness of supplementary imaging for breast cancer screening in women with dense breasts. Materials and methods: A systematic search of peer-reviewed publications in English (January 2000 to March 2021) was carried out. Eight databases were used to retrieve the studies: MEDLINE, CINAHL, Coch...

Educating students to become evidence-based practitioners remains a significant challenge in health professional education. Clinical placements form a significant element of curriculum and the impact of students’ placement experiences on their ability and desire to practice in an evidence-based manner remains largely unexplored. Medical imaging stu...

Background: To compare the diagnostic efficacy of digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) and ultrasound across breast densities in women recalled for assessment. Methods: A total of 482 women recalled for assessment from January 2017 to December 2019 were selected for the study. Women met the inclusion criteria if they had undergone DBT, ultrasound...

Background Chest radiography after peripherally inserted central catheter insertion in infants is the reference standard method for verifying catheter tip position. The utilisation of ultrasound (US) for catheter placement confirmation in the neonatal and paediatric population has been the focus of many recent studies. Objective In this systematic...

Background Interventional radiographers have substantially contributed to patient care during the pandemic by providing imaging guidance during minimally invasive procedures. The aim of this research is to quantify the impact of the pandemic on an interventional radiographers’ wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods Ethical approval was ob...

Background Opinions seem somewhat divided when considering the effect of artificial intelligence (AI) on medical imaging. The aim of this study was to characterise viewpoints presented online relating to the impact of AI on the field of radiology and to assess who is engaging in this discourse. Methods Two search methods were used to identify onli...

Background: It is estimated that 55 million people have dementia worldwide at present and this is to increase to 139 million by 20501,2. Therefore as the population ages, the prevalence of dementia is increasing and prioritisation of dementia education for healthcare students is essential. The COVID 19 pandemic has further exposed the inequalities...

Background The impact of radiologists’ characteristics has become a major focus of recent research. However, the markers of diagnostic efficacy and confidence in dense and non-dense breasts are poorly understood. Purpose This study aims to assess the relationship between radiologists’ characteristics and diagnostic performance across dense and non...

Diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) in digital mammography (DM) serve as a useful benchmark for dose monitoring and optimization, allowing comparison amongst countries, institutions and mammography units. A systematic review of DRLs in DM, published in 2014, reported a lack of consistent and internationally accepted protocol in DRLs establishment, t...

Introduction Breast cancer is one of the most prevalent cancers in women, however Irish Traveller women have lower breast screening rates than that of the general population. This work aims to address the gap in knowledge of Irish Traveller womens’ perceptions of breast screening and the perceived barriers and enablers to attendance. Methods This...

Traumatic pelvic injuries are an important group of acquired pathologies given their frequent association with significant vascular compromise. Potentially fatal as a consequence of rapid hemorrhage, achievement of early hemostasis is a priority; endovascular management of traumatic pelvic arterial injuries is an important potential option for trea...

Radiomic features from mammograms have been shown to predict breast cancer (BC) risk; however, their contribution to BC characteristics has not yet been explored. This study included 184 women with BC between January 2012 and April 2017. A set of 33 global radiomic features were extracted from the ipsilateral breast mammogram. Associations between...

Introduction: Breast density is associated with an increase in breast cancer risk and limits early detection of the disease. This study assesses the diagnostic performance of mammogram readers in digital mammography (DM) and digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT). Methods: Eleven breast readers with 1-39 years of experience reading mammograms and 0-...

Thoracic computed tomography (CT) is the imaging reference method in the diagnosis, assessment and management of lung disease. In the setting of cystic fibrosis (CF), CT demonstrates increased sensitivity compared with pulmonary function tests and chest radiography, and findings correlate with clinical outcomes. Better understanding of the aetiolog...

Purpose To compare the diagnostic performance of mammography (MG) alone versus MG combined with adjunctive imaging modalities, including handheld ultrasound (HHUS), automated breast ultrasound (ABUS), digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT), contrast-enhanced mammography (CEM), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in women with non-dense and dense breas...

Background Mammographic density (MD) reduction is associated with lower risk of breast cancer (BC) recurrence and may be used as a marker of treatment outcome; however, trends in MD following BC therapies and the factors associated with such trends are poorly understood. The aim of this study was to investigate MD changes following BC treatment and...

Often it has been said that proper prior preparation prevents performance. Many of the mistakes made in research have their origins back at the point of data collection. Perhaps it is natural human instinct not to plan; we learn from our experiences. However, it is crucial when it comes to the endeavours of science that we do plan our data collecti...

The purpose of this chapter is to identify and describe briefly the eight examples of research studies published in the medical imaging literature, with a focus on the steps of conducting research described in this textbook. In this regard, therefore, the research studies identified will first state the title of the research and outline briefly eac...

This book addresses essential principles of research according to the scientific method for medical imaging technology research. The scope of this book covers the nature of scientific research; quantitative and qualitative approaches essentials; research planning; literature review fundamentals; research methods; data collection, analysis, and inte...

Objectives: To assess the diagnostic accuracy of fast acquisition MRI in suspected cases of paediatric appendicitis presenting to a tertiary referral hospital. Materials and methods: A prospective study was undertaken between May and October 2017 of 52 children who presented with suspected appendicitis and were referred for an abdominal ultrasou...

Background There exists a significant divide between what is learnt in medical school and subsequently what is required to practice medicine effectively. Despite multiple strategies to remedy this discordance, the problem persists. Here, we describe the identification of a comprehensive set of learning outcomes for a preparation for practice course...

Introduction To investigate student clinical placement concerns and opinions, during the initial COVID-19 pandemic outbreak and to inform educational institution support planning. Methods Between mid-June to mid-July 2020, educational institutions from 12 countries were invited to participate in an online survey designed to gain student radiograph...

AIM: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the knowledge of referring physicians of general practitioners, residents, and medical specialists in Jordan and the Middle East on radiation dose and its impact on vulnerable patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The Institutional Review Board approved this study before data collection. A cross-sectional st...

Purpose: To investigate the association between mammographic density (MD) phenotypes and both clinicopathologic features of breast cancer (BC) and tumor location. Methods: MD was measured for 297 BC-affected females using qualitative (visual method) and quantitative (fully automated area-based method) approaches. Radiologists' description, visib...

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of increasing iterative reconstruction (IR) algorithm strength at different tube voltages in coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) protocols using a three-dimensional (3D)-printed and Catphan® 500 phantoms. Methods: A 3D-printed cardiac insert and Catphan 500 phantoms wer...

Objectives This narrative review examines the current status of evidence-based practice and knowledge translation in diagnostic radiography. It explores knowledge translation efforts in the allied health professions aimed at systematically implementing evidence-based practice and suggests ways that these may be applied within diagnostic radiography...

Increasing integration of computed tomography (CT) into routine patient care has escalated concerns regarding associated radiation exposure. Specific patient cohorts, particularly those with cystic fibrosis (CF) and Crohn's disease, have repeat exposures and thus have an increased risk of high lifetime cumulative effective dose exposures. Thoracic...

Introduction This study investigates instances of elevated radiation dose on a radiation tracking system to determine their aetiologies. It aimed to investigate the impact of radiographer feedback on these alerts. Methods Over two six-month periods 11,298 CT examinations were assessed using DoseWatch. Red alerts (dose length products twice the med...

Introduction The value of combined blended and experiential learning on radiographer diagnostic comment has not been explored. This study aims to examine the accuracy of image interpretation comment of radiographers who received a period of blended and experiential learning in Radiographer Abnormality Detection Systems (RADS). Methods We evaluated...

Purpose: To determine the influence of optimal collimation during lumbar spine radiography on radiation dose and image quality. Material and methods: 110 lumbar spine patients were split into two groups-the first imaged with standard collimation and the second with optimal collimation. Body mass index, image field size, exposure conditions and d...

Introduction To determine the impact of reduced visual acuity on the evaluation of a test object and appendicular radiographs. Methods Visual acuity was reduced by two different magnitudes using simulation glasses and compared to normal vision (no glasses). During phase one phantom images were produced for the purpose of counting objects by 13 obs...

Introduction 3D‐printed imaging phantoms are now increasingly available and used for computed tomography (CT) dose optimisation study and image quality analysis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the integrated 3D‐printed cardiac insert phantom when evaluating iterative reconstruction (IR) algorithm in coronary CT angiography (CCTA) protocols....

The aim of this study was to determine diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) for cardiac computed tomography (CCT) in Jordan. Volume computed tomography dose index (CTDIvol) and dose–length product (DLP) were collected from 228 CCTs performed at seven Jordanian hospitals specialized in cardiac CT. DRLs for cardiac CT were defined at the 75th percentil...

This study aimed to investigate the current status of Diagnostic Reference Levels (DRL) in paediatric CT across Jordan. The dose data for four main CT examinations (brain, chest, abdominopelvic, and Chest, Abdomen and Pelvis (CAP)) in hospitals and imaging centres (n = 4) were measured. The volume CT dose index (CTDIvol) and Dose Length Product (DL...

Objective: To compare breast screening attendances of Indigenous and non-Indigenous women. Methods: A total of 4,093 BreastScreen cases were used including 857 self-identified Indigenous women. Chi-squared analysis compared data between Indigenous and non-Indigenous women. Logistic regression was used for groupings based on visits-to-screening f...

Mammographic density (MD) increases breast cancer (BC) risk, however, its association with patient outcomes is unclear. We examined the association of baseline MD (BMD), and MD reduction (MDR) following BC treatment with patient outcomes. Six databases (CINAHL, Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, MEDLINE, and Embase) were used to identify relevant arti...

Objectives: This article sets out to describe the concept of the "pop-up" research centre as a means to promote and develop radiography research locally, nationally and internationally, and to empower professional colleagues to set up similar initiatives in the future. Key findings: A detailed overview of the development and management of "pop-u...

Objectives To compare the mammographic densities and other characteristics of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal women screened in Australia. Methods Population screening programme data of Aboriginal (n = 857) and non-Aboriginal women (n = 3236) were used. Mann–Whitney U test compared ages at screening and Chi-square tests compared personal and clinica...

A phantom is an essential tool for the optimization of a CT scanner. However, some CT phantoms only contain a single homogenous material of their organ specific inserts.1 Realistic imaging requires a phantom contains various materials similar to those of a real anatomy.2,3 Recently, three-dimensional (3D) printing has been widely explored, and its...

Introduction The aim of this work is to report diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) for hybrid positron emission tomography and x‐ray computed tomography (PET/CT) exams in Australia (AU) for Queensland (QLD) and Western Australia (WA) (AU QLD/WA) and New Zealand (NZ). Methods Two‐structured booklets were designed to collect dose information, patient...

Introduction Differences in radiologists’ experience can potentially introduce interobserver variability in reading mammograms. This work investigated the effect of radiologists’ experience on agreement on mammographic final classification. Methods This was a cross‐sectional study. Seventeen radiologists were asked to provide their final impressio...

Objective:: The aim of this study is to report a local diagnostic reference level (DRL) for paediatric whole-body (WB) fludeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) CT examinations. Methods:: The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) national DRL (NDRL) age category (0-4 years and 5-14 years), the Int...

METHODS: A questionnaire was distributed to CT centres across Australia and Saudi Arabia. All participating centres collected data for adults who underwent a CCTA procedure. The questionnaire gathered information about the examination protocol, scanning parameters, patient parameters, and volume CT dose index (CTDI vol) and dose-length product (DLP...

Objective: To investigate the knowledge and practice of computed tomography (CT) radiographers working in Jordan. Materials and methods: This Institutional Review Board (IRB) approved study disseminated a questionnaire via social media and recruited 54 Jordanian CT radiographers. The questionnaire comprised 36 questions divided into four section...

The aim of this systematic review is to investigate the national diagnostic reference level (NDRL) methods for positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) and single photon emission tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT) procedures. A search strategy was based on the preferred, reporting items for systematic review and meta-analysi...

Introduction: People with dementia have difficulties with memory, executive functions and behaviour which pose a challenge during diagnostic imaging. There is abundant literature on the radiographic diagnosis of dementia; however, there is little research on how to best to care for people with dementia during imaging procedures. The aim of this st...

Introduction An ideal organ‐specific insert phantom should be able to simulate the anatomical features with appropriate appearances in the resultant computed tomography (CT) images. This study investigated a 3D printing technology to develop a novel and cost‐effective cardiac insert phantom derived from volumetric CT image datasets of anthropomorph...