Radiology and Healthcare

Radiology involves many areas of the health field. Many different types of health services use radiology. One specialty is Radiologic Technology. Radiology goes back to the 1800’s. Radiography is the use of electro magnetic radiation to create an image on a photographic film (“Radiology” Time). The Radiologist Technician is one who operates equipment that creates images of a patient’s body tissue, organs, and bones for the purpose of medical diagnosis and therapies (“Radiologic Technologists”). An examination of the field of radiology is necessary in order to fully understand the work of a Radiologic Technician. An examination of the history, the use of radiology, and the risks involved, who performs the radiography, and who oversees the entire procedure is further essential to understanding this growing field.

The history of radiology goes back to 1895. It came into existence in 1895 when the discovery of X-rays by William Roentgen revolutionized medicine by making it possible for doctors to see inside the body without cutting it open (“Radiologist”). Because of the invention of Radiography unnecessary surgeries were able to be eliminated. The results of this pioneering work were reported to the Society for Physical Medicine of Wurzburg the following month (Tan). The first two decades after its discovery, radiology was used mainly for diagnosis and treatment of fractures and for localization of foreign bodies, such as men from both World Wars who needed bullets removed. Within a few months of Rontgen’s discovery, attempts were made to make films of moving objects. Later, in the 1950’s, this technique was used again (“Radiology” Britannica). The individuals that knew of Rontgen’s work wanted it to get out to the health indu...

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