Introduction: The use of Social Media (SoMe) by health- care professionals (HCPs) has risen fast in the recent years, creating a new informal framework of collaborative intelligence, which is based on the virtual interaction of its users. In addition, COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated SoMe usage from HCPs, who explore alternative avenues to professional development and ways to navigate the volume, veracity and variety of data and networks in a currently shaping SoMe environment in healthcare. Objective: The revelation of SoMe as a means for com- municating with peer networks and an opportunity for mentorship and coaching, as well as information sharing and remote collaboration to promote professional development. Method: We conducted a literature search in PubMed and Google Scholar online databases for the last five years (2016-2021) using keywords. Keywords used were “social media”, “healthcare”, “healthcare professionals”, “mentorship”, “coaching”, “influence”. Snowball referral sam- pling method was also utilized for further review. Results: We identified 18 articles. Twitter, the most commonly used platform amongst HCPs, allows real-time engagement and dissemination of information. Collabora- tive Web 2.0 tools are also utilized to support mentorship, influence and coaching amongst HCPs. Conclusion: HCPs begin to take ownership in shaping the future of SoMe usage in healthcare field. SoMe can be useful for sharing information, mentorship amongst HCPs and a means for their professional development. Although HCPs adopt the use of SoMe, questions arise about the proper and ethical use of them. Certain conditions must be met before their usage, in order to avoid any risk of misinformation, dispute of information’s reliability, distrust of persons and conflicts of interest.

Purpose: The objective of this study is to assess the current level of Radiological Information Systems (RIS) and Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS) incorporation in greek public hospitals through a national web-based survey. Since there are no previous studies on this field of medical imaging management in Greece, we look forward to export useful conclusions about RIS/PACS incorporation and set the foundation for further investigation. Material and Methods: A comprehensive measurement instrument that integrates the existing theoretical and empirical literature knowledge on Information Systems (IS) evaluation was properly modified and used for the purpose of this study. A web-based survey was conducted via Google Form questionnaire, which was distributed to the entire population of radiologists and radiologic technologists (potential users) of all greek public hospitals (urban and rural), in order to identify the availability of RIS/PACS Information Systems (IS), the level of incorporation through system’s impact on users satisfaction and their operating capacities (i.e. computerized activities and processes). Results: A total of 49 valid responses out of 77 collected questionnaires were received from all 124 greek public hospitals, which represents a response rate of 39.5%. Our very first findings indicate that establishment of RIS/PACS has not been fulfilled so far for the vast majority of greek public hospitals. Almost half of the participants (51%) responded that they use only the capabilities of PACS as a repository for medical images, instead of implementing all capabilities of RIS. Also, although 85.7% of the participants responded that they use disc publisher for medical imaging exams copies, only 6.1% responded that has gone totally filmless or paperless. 59.2% of the respondents has access to 5 or more workstations and 100% of the respondents agrees that ER and clinics should connect on hospital's RIS/PACS for viewing medical images, receiving electronic reports and updating patients' electronic files. Overall findings from statistical techniques demonstrate a statistically significant difference in perceived information (p-value=0.021) and service quality (p-value=0.036) with age of respondents. Finally, open feedback answers indicate that greek public hospitals have still many to set to successfully incorporate and exploit the wide range of RIS/PACS capabilities to improve quality, effectiveness and efficiency of patient care services. Discussions: Although, most of the respondents have an adequate level in the operation of information systems, lack of RIS/PACS usage training is noted, as well as users’ support from their own organization IT staff. Also, structural deficiencies worry system’s users, making them intolerant to adopting the system in daily practice. The recommendations of this study include RIS/PACS incorporation in every medical imaging department of greek hospitals, users training and support, as well as updating infrastructures where needed.

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Studies in medical ionizing radiation sciences apply to a wide range of medical and allied health professions. The students in those sciences learn the basic principles and effects of ionizing radiation on patients for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes, as well as the theoretical background in biomedical equipment operation. It is fundamental for those students to receive proper hands-on training, to successfully connect the theory with practice. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has pushed education to a new normal, establishing the use of emerging technologies to facilitate distance learning and virtual interaction. In this paper, we reviewed the literature for applications of virtual reality (VR) learning environments in the education of medical ionizing radiation sciences. We performed a literature search in the databases PubMed and Epistemonikos for the last decade (2012-2022), using combinations of keywords. We also performed a manual search in ResearchGate electronic repository. We identified 15 studies investigating the impact of the application of VR learning environments on students in medicine and allied health professions relevant to medical ionizing radiation sciences. The application of VR can lead to the improvement of learning outcomes, the development of clinical and soft skills, facilitate the comprehension of theoretical concepts through visualization and increase the level of confidence of students before clinical practice. In addition, it is an attractive method of training, offering the benefits of repetition and practice in a safe environment for the students. None of the studies refer that VR learning environments have replaced the clinical placements of the students, which are considered a critical component of their clinical practice. Concluding, there is only a little, regional, and relatively recent quantitative evidence, demonstrating the successful incorporation of VR learning environments in curricula of medical ionizing radiation sciences. From our perspective, VR can become a valuable pedagogical tool for those curricula, helping the connection of theory with clinical practice and enhancing the confidence of students.

Background: The healthcare professionals have had to adapt their current practices and implement new strategies, to ensure a safe patient care environment during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, their training in the new conditions of the pandemic has been challenging. Aim: The aim of this short review is to provide a brief record of the experiences and challenges faced by healthcare professionals and how these can constitute lessons for a new health crisis. Method and Material: We conducted literature research in two electronic databases for the period from 2020 to 2022, using keywords. The collected material was classified based on the objectives set. A selection of literature sources was made, followed by a review with the creation of note cards. Results: The review of the selected sources reveals challenges in the practice of healthcare professionals, the continuation of professional development and research activities, as well as the adoption of digital technologies and tools for communication, information and training. The lack of experience of healthcare professionals from a previous pandemic crisis and the delay in the digital transformation of healthcare are some of the obstacles, which can become lessons for the preparedness of the healthcare systems towards a new health crisis. Conclusions: The findings highlight the essential role of a well-trained and well-informed healthcare workforce, to adequately face a health crisis. The analysis of these findings can contribute to the detection and identification of emerging needs of healthcare professionals, allowing policymakers to implement effective interventions for the continuing development of the workforce.