EU-REST
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Papers on EU-REST study’s radiology aspects published
We are thrilled to announce the publication of three follow-up papers reporting on radiology-specific aspects of the EU-REST project.
Paper 1 explains the genesis and conduct of the project, and paper 2 the findings of the data collection. Paper 3 includes the recommendations on education/training and workforce derived from the project.
The publications can be accessed in Insights into Imaging below:
Paper 1: A project to define standards for radiology staffing, education and training across the European Union
Paper 2: Current status of radiologist staffing, education and training in the 27 EU Member States
Paper 3: Guidelines and recommendations for radiologist staffing, education and training
EU-REST Final Project Report published
On behalf of the EU-REST study leaders Prof. Boris Brkljačić (University of Zagreb School of Medicine, HR) and Prof. Adrian Brady (University College Cork, IE), it is our pleasure to announce the publication of the final project report Analysis on workforce availability, education and training needs for the quality and safety of medical applications involving ionising radiation in the EU – Status and Recommendations. The report can be accessed on the European Commission website here.
The report includes guidelines on staffing and education/training as well as the project’s conclusions and recommendations as annexes.
Our thanks go to the EU-REST consortium members and all those who contributed to the project, including the national professional societies, radiation protection authorities and medical associations/chambers of the EU countries for having provided relevant information, as well as the study’s Advisory Board and Peer-Review Group and the consulted stakeholders for their critical input during the entire study.
Recording of free-access session available now:
EU 4 – SAMIRA: a European Commission initiative to strengthen quality and safety in imaging
Learn more in the lecture Update on EU-REST study on workforce and staffing issues
The recording of the session is available at ESR Connect FOR FREE!
Instructions on how to join can be found here.
About the EU-REST study:
The European Union Radiation, Education, Staffing & Training (EU-REST) study was a 24-month, European Commission-funded study, managed by the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA), and was awarded to a consortium led by the European Society of Radiology (ESR) and consisting of the ESR, European Federation of Organisations for Medical Physics (EFOMP), European Federation of Radiographer Societies (EFRS), and European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO) (with input from other stakeholders, including the European Association of Nuclear Medicine, EANM).
The study aimed to provide an analysis of workforce availability, education, and training needs to ensure quality and safety aspects of medical applications involving ionising radiation in the EU. The study seeked to address the needs for a highly-qualified workforce and proper forecasts of staff requirements by collecting, analysing, and making widely available up-to-date data on staffing, education, and training of the key professional groups in EU Member States. The work covered the areas of radiology, radiotherapy, nuclear medicine, and other medical practices utilising ionising radiation, as well as the main categories of staff falling under the Council Directive 2013/59/Euratom7 (‘Basic Safety Standards Directive’, BSSD) definitions of ‘Practitioner’, ‘Medical Physics Expert’, and staff carrying ‘practical aspects of medical radiological procedures’. The study also developed staffing and education/training guidelines for key professional groups involved in ensuring radiation safety and quality of medical radiation applications in the EU Member States.
The EU-REST study was part of the EU4Health 2021 Work Programme and contributes to the implementation of Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan, as well as forming part of the actions of the Strategic Agenda for Medical Ionising Radiation Applications (SAMIRA) Action Plan in the area of Quality and Safety of medical applications of ionising radiation.
The study began in September 2022 and concluded in August 2024.