Transforming and Supporting Patient Care - Health Professions ...

131Chapter 6 – Scope of Practice of Medical Radiation Technologyprofessional to undertake any activities that they are currently performingor that HPRAC may recommend they should be authorized to performunder a revised scope of practice.The College regulates the practice of MRTs in the province. According tothe joint submission by the College and the Association, there are currentlyover 6,200 MRTs in Ontario. 3 This represents an increase of almost 10%since 2003 when there were just over 5,600 active members. TheAssociation represents the professional interests of MRTs. Membership inthe Association is voluntary and several membership categories exist,including those for MRTs who have a limited practice, are retired, are onwork leave or are in the commercial field. 4MRTs work in hospitals, cancer treatment centres and independent healthfacilities that provide diagnostic medical imaging services. MRTs practice inone of four specialties within medical radiation technology. 5, 6Four SpecialtiesRadiological technology is the use of x-rays to produce images of parts ofthe body on film or on computer screens – such as mammograms, chest x-rays and computerized tomography (CT) scans, which produce detailedcross-sectional images of the body part or system. On the order of anauthorized health professional, radiological technologists produce images ofa body part or system using x-ray equipment. They are responsible for thequality of the x-ray images and for providing the correct view of specific bodystructures or systems, whether on film or digital images. Some proceduresrequire giving barium and/or a dye called a contrast medium to patients tohighlight organs and structures that would not otherwise be seen.Radiological technologists work in hospitals and independent health facilities.Radiation therapy is the treatment of disease with radiation, whichinvolves the use of radiation to destroy diseased cells in the body – forexample, cancer. Radiation therapists use focused beams of radiation todestroy tumours while minimizing harm to healthy tissues. Treatment mayalso involve placing radioactive sources directly into the patient’s body.Another part of the radiation therapist’s role is to plan the actual course oftreatment that has been ordered by a physician, through simulation. Thisinvolves taking measurements, determining radiation doses, and performingtreatment simulations. Radiation therapists are responsible for preciselytargeting these high doses of radiation and carefully monitoring thepatients’ exposure. Radiation therapists work in hospitals and cancertreatment centres.3Submission to HPRAC: Review of Interprofessional Collaboration Under the Regulated HealthProfessions Act; joint submission by College of Medical Radiation Technologists of Ontario andOntario Association of Medical Radiation Technologists; June 30, 2008, p. 1.4Ontario Association of Medical Radiation Technologists. Who we are.www.oamrt.on.ca/whoweare/OAMRT-CMRTOChartp.shtml.5College of Medical Radiation Technologists of Ontario. About Medical Radiation Technologists.www.cmrto.org/about/about-mrts.asp.6Canadian Association of Medical Radiation Technologists. About the Profession.www.camrt.ca/english/career/disciplines.asp.HPRAC Critical Links January 2009