Purpose or Case Report: Five years ago the leaders of the world’s regional pediatric imaging societies launched the World Federation of Pediatric Imaging (WFPI), a pediatric imaging body with global overview. According to its mission statement "WFPI provides an international platform for pediatric radiology organizations united to address the challenges in global pediatric imaging training and the delivery of services".
To guide WFPI's outreach endeavors as well as of other organizations interested in improving pediatric radiology services worldwide a project to better define the needs and gaps of pediatric radiologists and training centers worldwide was undertaken.
The project aims to:
-Establish the number of Pediatric Radiologists (as regionally defined) per country/region around the world
-Outline the training pediatric radiologists receive and availability of training centers
-Highlight major disparities and gaps in availability of pediatric radiologists and pediatric imaging training
-Based on this information create a roadmap for WFPI’s global efforts.
Methods & Materials: A Working Group with representatives of the WFPI regional and national member societies was assembled to:
-Define the information to be gathered via a survey, including how pediatric radiologists are defined in different countries/regions
-Recruit contacts from different countries/regions responsible of responding the survey
-Collate and analyze the data
-Construct a global map of pediatric radiologists and pediatric radiology training centers
Project timeline
Aug–Sept 2016 Discussion of methodology, construction of survey, recruitment of collaborators
Oct 2016–Nov 2016 Survey dissemination
Dec 2016–Jan 2017 Analysis of initial results, discussion of discrepancies, needed clarifications, data gaps & corrective steps
Feb–Mar 2017 Results finalized
Apr–May 2017 Global map of pediatric radiologists and training centers produced. White paper prepared
Results: In accordance to the proyect timeline final results are pending however early results show wide differences in how a pediatric radiologist is defined in different countries/regions according to the training they receive. An important gap of pediatric radiologists and training centers availability between high and low resourced settings is also noted, as well as differences in the landscape of pediatric radiology in wealthier nations.
Conclusions: This project will drive WFPI's outreach efforts as well as those of other organizations interested in improving and leveraging pediatric radiology services worldwide.