Outreach is a commonly used term in efforts to decrease poverty and global economic disparity, in which radiology outreach specifically aims to improve access to radiologic health services and imaging technologies among economically disadvantaged populations.
Outreach is typically defined as having several components:
- Providing services to impoverished populations who otherwise have limited or no access to such resources.
- Provision of those services entails traveling to the individuals and communities in need.
- Integral to service delivery, education and raising awareness are vital components of outreach.
Therefore, RAD-AID’s radiology outreach programs are designed on the principle of bringing vital health services to populations in need, with a focus on critical imaging services for essential health care. The mobility component of outreach means that RAD-AID teams emphasize on-site work within the populations and communities needing assistance.
Moreover, RAD-AID’s on site work prioritizes education and collaboration in which radiology professionals learn from one another across different countries and cultures, increasing knowledge and building awareness of how imaging can bring health advancement.
To learn more about radiology outreach in RAD-AID, please explore our programs and the countries where we work. We also offer many pathways for involvement, such as participation in RAD-AID Chapters, attending the yearly RAD-AID Conference, interning in the RAD-AID/WHO collaborative program, and volunteering to join one of our many outreach teams.
Radiology has made substantial progress in the last 20 years with the advent and development of MRI, CT, molecular imaging and other advancing modalities; however, the high costs of these technologies and resource-intensive training for properly utilizing these life-saving modalities threatens to leave most of the developing and rural world behind without access. According to the Bulletin of the American College of Radiology in August 2008, Countries in Need: Radiologist on the Global Trail, there is a widespread lack of resources for medical imaging in developing regions which has severely hampered the quality of health care in these areas.
RAD-AID is answering this need by building a global network for assisting the developing world in achieving better access to medical imaging services. A team of healthcare professionals have joined to create an infrastructure for service and technological development that brings increased access to the best care, with an organizational structure designed for a sustained longitudinal legacy of dialog, education, resources and collaboration.