Best in practice: a model for improved radiologist-technologist collaboration and image optimization.

The past several years have seen rapid innovation in imaging techniques, with both hardware and software changes. These changes have occurred in all modalities, including the development of multichannel CT scanners with lowradiation dose scanning protocols and reconstruction algorithms, ultrasound elastography, parallel transmit and receive MR coils, and the widespread implementation of 3-T field strengths. These imaging changes have led to increasing complexity in the performance of examinations, requiring extensive protocol optimization. At the same time, the development of digital, filmless technology has led to the formation of large, geographically divided departments whose members have limited interactions. The geographic dispersion of imaging departments has led some to advocate for a more independent, decisionmaking role for technologists [1,2]. owever, it has been our experince that the physical separation of echnologists and radiologists has ed to a breakdown in the tradiional team approach between hem. This has been particularly rue in the areas of protocol develpment and image optimization. In an attempt to counteract these evelopments, New York Uniersity Langone Medical Center’s NYULMC) Department of Radiolgy implemented a program called est in Practice (BIP) in our MRI epartment in the summer of 2009.