The International Day of Radiology is an annual event held with the aim of building greater awareness of the value that radiology contributes to safe patient care, and improving understanding of the vital role radiologists and radiological technologists play in the healthcare continuum.
Medical imaging is one of the most exciting and progressive disciplines in healthcare and a field of great activity in terms of technological and biological research. X-rays, MRI scans, ultrasound and numerous other medical imaging technologies, as well as the eye-catching images associated with them, are known to many people, but the exact purpose and value of these services is not widely understood.
We therefore chose November 8, the day that Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen discovered the existence of x-rays in 1895, as a day of action and awareness. We hope to alert the world to the stunning medical, scientific and even artistic possibilities of medical imaging, the essential role of radiologists and radiographers as parts of the healthcare team in countless medical scenarios, and the high educational and professional standards required of all staff working in medical imaging.
The day is a joint initiative of the European Society of Radiology (ESR), the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) and the American College of Radiology (ACR), with the full cooperation and involvement of the International Society of Radiology (ISR), as well as umbrella organisations on all continents, including the Asian Oceanian Society of Radiology (AOSR), the Colegio Interamericano de Radiología (CIR), the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists (RANZCR), and the Radiological Society of South Africa (RSSA – which also represents neighbouring countries). The European Federation of Radiographer Societies (EFRS) and the International Society of Radiographers & Radiological Technologists (ISRRT) also support the International Day of Radiology.
