The SIMI Research Group, based at the University of Cumbria, is centrally concerned with issues of effective medical communication and everyday practice, clinician and patient wellbeing, and effective practitioner education surrounding all medical imaging modalities.
Today, X-rays (Plain Radiography), Diagnostic Ultrasonography, Computerized Axial Tomography (CT) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), alongside other related modalities, are indispensable elements of modern medicine. Each year, around 40 million medical imaging tests are conducted in the English National Health Service alone. While the technical/technological aspects of these procedures are of indisputably significant importance, the range of social and social psychological concerns affecting clinicians and patients within (and beyond) the direct clinical encounter also has significant ramifications for the medical process.
The group is always open to involvement from, and collaboration with, like-minded clinicians and academics. Equally, we would encourage any prospective research students interested in our sphere of expertise to get in touch regarding the possibility of studying for a PhD with us. You can follow us on Twitter too: @SIMIResearch.
Recent Research
Recent published research has addressed:
- Children's coping strategies in MRI (Kada, Satinovic, Booth and Miller 2019).
- Communicative and practical issues arising between expert diagnostic radiographers and obese patients (Woods, Miller and Sloane 2016; Miller, Woods, Sloane and Booth 2017);
- Work-related injury among sonographers (Bolton and Cox 2015);
- Communication between junior diagnostic radiographers and patients with dementia (Miller, Booth and Spacey 2019);
- Evidence-based educational interventions to help address the UK’s sonographer shortage (Waring, Miller and Sloane 2015);
- The emergent role of the Consultant Radiographer in healthcare practice (Henwood and Booth 2015; Booth, Henwood and Miller 2016; Henwood, Booth and Miller 2016);
- Student radiographers’ attitudes to ageing patients (Booth and Kada, 2015; Booth, Kada, Satinovic, Phillips and Miller, 2017);
- The social and psychological impacts of understaffing in UK ultrasound (Waring, Miller, Sloane and Bolton, 2018; Miller, Waring, Bolton and Sloane, 2019).
- Radiology Unit managers’ perspectives on curriculum design for diagnostic radiography (Sloane and Miller, 2017).
Current Projects
Currently-running projects include research addressing:
- Towards a discursive psychology of expertise in radiography education: lecturers' use of "authenticity through autobiography" in classroom sessions;
- Detecting and reporting domestic abuse of the elderly: mapping the concerns of experienced radiographers;
- Breaking “bad news” in clinical ultrasound;
- Epiphanies, experience and clinical confidence: on the sense of having become a “real” sonographer;
- First-post radiographers’ experiences of the transition from a student identity to a professional one (funded by CoRIPS);
- Experiences of work-related musculo-skeletal disorder among experienced sonographers;
- Legal implications of first-post radiographers’ knowledge of dementia ethics;
- How Ultrasound service managers identify “talent” in prospective employees;
- Ideological dilemmas in ultrasound;
- Alignment between ultrasound managers' hopes and ultrasound leads' capacities in the immediate future (funded by Health Education England);
- Preparing student radiographers for imaging patients with dementia: The “what?” and the “how?” in Higher Education strategy.
SIMI Founding Members
Dr. Lisa Booth, Senior Lecturer in Diagnostic Radiography, University of Cumbria, UK. Email: lisa.booth@cumbria.ac.uk. Tel: 01524 384580.
Dr. Paul K. Miller, Associate Professor of Social Psychology, University of Cumbria, UK. Email: paul.miller@cumbria.ac.uk. Tel: 01524 384161.
Charles Sloane, MSc., Principal Lecturer in Diagnostic Radiography, University of Cumbria, UK. Email: charles.sloane@cumbria.ac.uk. Tel: 01524 384640.
Current SIMI Membership
Gareth Bolton, MSc., Senior Lecturer in Clinical Ultrasound, University of Cumbria, UK. Email: gareth.bolton@cumbria.ac.uk
Dr. Nicholas J. Cantlay, Practice Manager / Radiographer, Direct Medical Imaging Ltd., UK. Email: ncantlay@dmi-uk.com
Devon Benton, BSc., Diagnostic Radiographer, Blackpool Victoria Hospital, UK. dev.benton@hotmail.com
Dr. Dean Harris, Lecturer in Diagnostic Radiography, Liverpool University, UK. Email: dean.harris@liverpool.ac.uk
Dr. Mark Hoelterhoff, Lecturer in Clinical Psychology, University of Edinburgh. Email: mark.hoelterhoff@ed.ac.uk
Dr Sundaran Kada, Associate Professor, Department of Circulation and Medical Imaging, Norweigian University of Science and Technology, Norway. Email: sundaran.kada@ntnu.no
Amanda Marland, MSc., Lecturer in Clinical Ultrasound, University of Cumbria, UK. Email: amanda.marland@cumbria.ac.uk
Julie A. Mawson, MSc., Lecturer in Medical Imaging, University of Cumbria, UK. Email: julie.mawson@cumbria.ac.uk
Dr. Peter Phillips, Senior Lecturer in Medical Imaging, University of Cumbria, UK. Email: peter.phillips@cumbria.ac.uk
Sarah Skidmore, BSc., Diagnostic Radiographer, Lancaster Royal Infirmary, Lancaster, UK. Email: sarah.skidmore@cumbria.ac.uk
Shelley Smart, MSc., Lecturer in Clinical Ultrasound, University of Cumbria, UK. Email: shelley.smart@cumbria.ac.uk
Adam Spacey, BSc., Doctoral Researcher, University of Bournemouth, UK. Email: aspacey@bournemouth.ac.uk
Lorelei Waring, MSc., Senior Lecturer in Clinical Ultrasound, University of Cumbria, UK. Email: lorelei.waring@cumbria.ac.uk
Amanda L. Wiggans, BSc., Diagnostic Radiographer, Lancaster Royal Infirmary, Lancaster, UK. Email: amanda.lou09@live.co.uk
Julie de Witt, MA, Senior Lecturer in Diagnostic Imaging, University of Derby. Email: J.T.de-Witt@derby.ac.uk
Selected SIMI Outputs
International Peer-Reviewed Papers (2015-)
Mawson, J., Miller, P.K. and Booth, L. (2021) 'Stress, a reflective self and an internal locus of control: On the everyday clinical placement experiences of older undergraduate radiographers in the UK', Radiography, forthcoming.
Kada, S., Satinovic, M., Booth, L. and Miller, P.K. (2019) 'Managing discomfort and developing participation in non-emergency MRI: Children's coping strategies during their first procedure', Radiography, 25(1), pp.10-15. doi: 10.1016/j.radi.2018.06.009.
Miller, P.K., Booth, L. and Spacey, A. (2019) ‘Dementia and clinical interaction in frontline radiography: Mapping the practical experiences of junior clinicians in the UK’, Dementia, 18(3), pp.1010-1024. doi: 10.1177/1471301217700742.
Miller, P.K., Waring, L., Bolton, G.C. and Sloane, C. (2019) 'Personnel flux and workplace anxiety: personal and interpersonal consequences of understaffing in UK ultrasound departments', Radiography, 25(1), pp.46-50. doi: 10.1016/j.radi.2018.07.005.
Waring, L., Miller, P.K., Sloane, C. and Bolton, G.C. (2018) 'Charting the practical dimensions of understaffing from a managerial perspective: The everyday shape of the UK’s sonographer shortage', Ultrasound, 26(4), pp.206-213. doi: 10.1177/1742271X18772606
Booth, L., Henwood, S. and Miller, P.K. (2017) ‘Leadership and the everyday practice of Consultant Radiographers in the UK: Transformational ideals and the generation of self-efficacy’, Radiography, 23(2), pp. 125-129. doi: 10.1016/j.radi.2016.12.003.
Booth, L., Kada, S., Satinovic, M., Phillips, P. and Miller, P.K. (2017) 'Student Radiographers' attitudes towards the older patient: A longitudinal study’, Radiography. doi: 10.1016/j.radi.2017.03.014.
Miller, P.K., Woods, A.L., Sloane, C. and Booth, L. (2017) ‘Obesity, heuristic reasoning and the organisation of communicative embarrassment in diagnostic radiography’, Radiography, 23(2), pp. 130-134. doi: 10.1016/j.radi.2016.12.002.
Sloane, C. and Miller, P.K. (2017) ‘Informing radiography curriculum development: The views of UK radiology service managers concerning the ‘fitness for purpose’ of recent diagnostic radiography graduates’, Radiography. doi: 10.1016/j.radi.2017.05.013
de Witt, J. (2017) 'Personal resilience for diagnostic radiographer healthcare education: Lost in translation', International Journal of Practice-based Learning in Health and Social Care, 5(2), pp.38-50. doi: 10.18552/ijpblhsc.v5i2.404.
Booth, L., Henwood, S. and Miller, P.K. (2016) ‘Reflections on the role of consultant radiographers in the UK: What is a consultant radiographer?’, Radiography, 22(1), pp. 38-43. doi: 10.1016/j.radi.2015.05.005.
Henwood, S., Booth, L. and Miller, P.K. (2016) ‘Reflections on the role of consultant radiographers in the UK: The perceived impact on practice and factors that support and hinder the role’, Radiography, 22(1), pp. 44-49. doi: 10.1016/j.radi.2015.06.001.
Kada, S. and Booth, L. (2016) 'Student radiographers' attitudes towards the older patient: Six and twelve months post intervention', Radiography, 22(2), pp. 147-151. doi: 10.1016/j.radi.2015.10.001.
Woods, A.L., Miller, P.K. and Sloane, C. (2016) 'Patient obesity and the practical experience of the plain radiography professional: On everyday ethics, patient positioning and infelicitous equipment', Radiography, 22, pp. 118-123. doi: 10.1016/j.radi.2015.09.005.
Bolton, G.C. and Cox, D.L. (2015) 'Survey of UK sonographers on the prevention of work related muscular‐skeletal disorder (WRMSD)', Journal of Clinical Ultrasound, 43(3), pp. 145-152. doi: 10.1002/jcu.22216.
Booth, L. and Kada, S. (2015) 'Student radiographers' attitudes toward the older patient – An intervention study', Radiography, 21(2), pp. 160-164. doi: 10.1016/j.radi.2014.09.010.
Henwood, S. and Booth, L. (2015) 'On becoming a consultant: A study exploring the journey to consultant practice', Radiography, 22(1), pp. 32-37. doi: 10.1016/j.radi.2015.03.013.
Landmark Prior Work
Booth, L. and Henwood, S. (2014) ‘Models of communication excellence’. In: Henwood, S. (ed.) ‘Practical leadership in nursing and health care: a multi-professional approach’. CRC Press: Boca Raton, USA, pp. 53-68.
Booth, L. (2008) 'The radiographer-patient relationship: Enhancing understanding using a transactional analysis approach', Radiography, 14(4), pp. 323-331. doi: 10.1016/j.radi.2007.07.002.
Booth, L. (2007) 'Observations and reflections of communication in health care – could Transactional Analysis be used as an effective approach?', Radiography, 13(2), pp. 135-141. doi: 10.1016/j.radi.2006.01.010.
Entries in Books of Abstracts (2015-)
Benton, D., Miller, P..K and Booth, L. (2019). 'Preparing student radiographers for imaging patients with dementia: An exploratory study of the “what?” and the “how?” in Higher Education strategy', United Kingdom Imaging and Oncology Congress, BIR Proceedings of UK Radiological Conference 2019, Liverpool ACC, 10th to 12th June, p.93. doi: 10.1259/conf-pukrc.2019.posters-sharing-best-practice-1
Bolton, G.C., Booth, L. and Miller, P.K. (2019). 'Sonographers' management of work-related musculoskeletal disorders: An ideological dilemma?', United Kingdom Imaging and Oncology Congress, BIR Proceedings of UK Radiological Conference 2019, Liverpool ACC, 10th to 12th June, p.30. doi: 10.1259/conf-pukrc.2019.posters-msk
Bolton, G.C., Waring, L., Marland, A., Sloane, C. and Miller, P.K. (2019). 'A two-year evaluation of a direct-entry postgraduate ultrasound programme: The perspectives of clinical leads', United Kingdom Imaging and Oncology Congress, BIR Proceedings of UK Radiological Conference 2019, Liverpool ACC, 10th to 12th June, p.112. doi: 10.1259/conf-pukrc.2019.posters-sharing-best-practice-2
Callion, L., Keane, D. and Smart, S. (2019). ‘Personalised e-learning for MSc medical ultrasound students’, United Kingdom Imaging and Oncology Congress, BIR Proceedings of UK Radiological Conference 2019, Liverpool ACC, 10th to 12th June, p.24. doi: 10.1259/conf-pukrc.2019.A-short-paper-presentations
Miller, P.K. and Booth, L. (2019). 'Towards a discursive psychology of expertise in radiography education: Lecturers’ use of “authenticity through autobiography” in classroom sessions', United Kingdom Imaging and Oncology Congress, BIR Proceedings of UK Radiological Conference 2019, Liverpool ACC, 10th to 12th June, p.88. doi: 10.1259/conf-pukrc.2019.posters-education
Miller, P.K., Waring, L., Bolton, G.C. and Sloane, C. (2019). 'Personnel flux and workplace anxiety: Personal and interpersonal consequences of understaffing in UK ultrasound departments', United Kingdom Imaging and Oncology Congress, BIR Proceedings of UK Radiological Conference 2019, Liverpool ACC, 10th to 12th June, p.85. doi: 10.1259/conf-pukrc.2019.posters-education
Waring, L., Bolton, G.C., Smart, S., Sloane, C. and Miller, P.K. (2019). 'A two-year evaluation of a direct-entry postgraduate ultrasound programme: Mapping the student experience', United Kingdom Imaging and Oncology Congress, BIR Proceedings of UK Radiological Conference 2019, Liverpool ACC, 10th to 12th June, p.113. doi: 10.1259/conf-pukrc.2019.posters-sharing-best-practice-2
National and International Conference Presentations (2015-)
DeWitt J., Sloane C., Marland A., Miller PK, and Hoelterhoff, M. (2021) ‘Walking the cliff-edge: Managing the initial transition from student radiographer to professional radiographer’. Networking in Education for Healthcare Conference, University of Bath, 1-3 September 2021.
Bolton GC, Booth L, and Miller PK, (2020). ‘Personal impacts of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSD) on sonographers’. United Kingdom Imaging and Oncology Congress: Pathways and Communication, Liverpool ACC, 1-3 June 2020.
DeWitt J., Sloane C., Marland A., Miller PK, and Hoelterhoff, M. (2020) 'Managing the initial transition from student to professional radiographer: Making induction and preceptorship count'. United Kingdom Imaging and Oncology Congress: Pathways and Communication, Liverpool ACC, 1-3 June 2020.
Grabrovaz M, Miller PK, Waring L, and Bolton GC, (2020). ‘The future of ultrasound Advanced Clinical Practitioner education: Mapping the views of programme leads in the UK’. United Kingdom Imaging and Oncology Congress: Pathways and Communication, Liverpool ACC, 1-3 June 2020.
Hoelterhoff M, Sloane C, Miller, PK, Marland A, Barclay M, and De Witt J, (2020). ‘“Looking back at my student years now…”: Recently-qualified radiographers’ retroactive understandings of key resilience sources’. United Kingdom Imaging and Oncology Congress: Pathways and Communication, Liverpool ACC, 1-3 June 2020.
Kelly K, Booth L, and Miller PK, (2020). ‘Eliciting consent from patients with dementia in general X-ray departments: Law, ethics and interpretation of context’. United Kingdom Imaging and Oncology Congress: Pathways and Communication, Liverpool ACC, 1-3 June 2020.
Mawson JA, and Miller PK, (2020). ‘Stress and the mature undergraduate radiographer: An interpretative phenomenological analysis of final year clinical experiences’. United Kingdom Imaging and Oncology Congress: Pathways and Communication, Liverpool ACC, 1-3 June 2020.
McDonald I, (2020). ‘Improving outcomes in technology enhanced group assessment for undergraduate radiography students: an action research study’. United Kingdom Imaging and Oncology Congress: Pathways and Communication, Liverpool ACC, 1-3 June 2020.
Miller PK, Grabrovaz M, Bolton GC, and Waring L, (2020). ‘The future of ultrasound Advanced Clinical Practitioner education: Mapping the views of clinical leads in the public and private sector’. United Kingdom Imaging and Oncology Congress: Pathways and Communication, Liverpool ACC, 1-3 June 2020.
Newcombe, R and Cammack, P (2020). ‘Introducing a peer mentoring scheme in Radiography education: The experiences of final year students’. United Kingdom Imaging and Oncology Congress: Pathways and Communication, Liverpool ACC, 1-3 June 2020.
Sloane C, Miller PK, DeWitt J, Hoelterhoff M, and Marland A, (2020). ‘Don’t Fear the Theatre? Newly-qualified radiographers’ tales of conflict and camaraderie’. United Kingdom Imaging and Oncology Congress: Pathways and Communication, Liverpool ACC, 1-3 June 2020.
Bolton, G.C., Booth, L. and Miller, P.K. (2018). 'Sonographers' experiences of work-related musculoskeletal disorder: The everyday consequences of physiological stress and injury in contemporary ultrasound', The 50th Annual Scientific Meeting of the British Medical Ultrasound Society, Manchester Old Trafford, 4th to 6th December 2018.
Bolton, G.C., Booth, L. and Miller, P.K. (2018) 'Sonographers' experiences of work-related musculoskeletal disorder: The everyday consequences of physiological stress and injury in contemporary ultrasound', UK Radiological and Radiation Oncology Congress. Liverpool ACC, 2nd to 4th July 2018.
Croft, R., Miller, P.K., Booth, L. and Bates, E.A. (2018) 'Detecting and reporting domestic abuse of the elderly: Mapping the concerns of experienced radiographers', UK Radiological and Radiation Oncology Congress. Liverpool ACC, 2nd to 4th July 2018.
Harris, D., Smart, S., Gill, R. and Miller, P.K. (2018) ‘The impacts of a clinically-orientated approach to teaching physics in ultrasound to sonography students’, Achieving Excellence in Radiography Education and Research Conference, Leeds Queen’s Hotel, 30th November to 1st December 2018.
Harris, D., Smart, S., Gill, R., Miller, P.K., Bolton, G.C., Waring, L. and Marland, A. (2018) ‘The impacts of a clinically-orientated approach to teaching physics in ultrasound to sonography students’, UK Radiological and Radiation Oncology Congress. Liverpool ACC, 2nd to 4th July 2018.
Sloane, C. and Miller, P.K. (2018) 'Coping and the plain radiography student: Professionalism and the crippling dilemma of accountability before and after graduation', UK Radiological and Radiation Oncology Congress. Liverpool ACC, 2nd to 4th July 2018.
Waring, L., Miller, P.K., Marland, A. and Smart, S. (2018) 'Addressing the UK's sonographer shortage through new initiatives higher education: Evaluating the perspectives of ultrasound unit managers', UK Radiological and Radiation Oncology Congress. Liverpool ACC, 2nd to 4th July 2018.
Waring, L., Miller, P.K., Sloane, C. and Bolton, G.C. (2018) 'Charting the practical dimensions of understaffing from a managerial perspective: everyday consequences of the UK’s sonographer shortage', UK Radiological and Radiation Oncology Congress. Liverpool ACC, 2nd to 4th July 2018.
Booth, L., Kada, S., Satinovic, M., Phillips, P. and Miller, P.K. (2017) 'Student Radiographers' attitudes towards the older patient: A longitudinal study', UK Radiological and Radiation Oncology Congress. Manchester Central Convention Complex, 12th to 14th June 2017.
Booth, L., Miller, P.K. and Spacey, A. (2017) 'Dementia and the law in frontline UK radiography: The practical experiences of junior clinicians', UK Radiological and Radiation Oncology Congress. Manchester Central Convention Complex, 12th to 14th June 2017.
Kada, S., Booth, L., Satinovic, M. and Miller, P.K. (2017) 'Managing discomfort in non-emergency MRI: Children's coping strategies during their first procedure', UK Radiological and Radiation Oncology Congress. Manchester Central Convention Complex, 12th to 14th June 2017.
Miller, P.K., Booth, L. and Spacey, A. (2017) 'Patient dementia and clinical interaction in frontline diagnostic radiography: Mapping the practical experiences of junior clinicians in the UK', UK Radiological and Radiation Oncology Congress. Manchester Central Convention Complex, 12th to 14th June 2017.
Sloane, C. and Miller, P.K. (2017) 'The views of UK radiology service managers concerning professionalism: on the ability of newly qualified radiographers to cope with working in contemporary clinical contexts', UK Radiological and Radiation Oncology Congress. Manchester Central Convention Complex, 12th to 14th June 2017.
Waring, L., Miller, P.K. and Sloane, C. (2017) 'Constructing the “Ideal” first-post sonographer: Mapping the views of Ultrasound Department leads in the UK', UK Radiological and Radiation Oncology Congress. Manchester Central Convention Complex, 12th to 14th June 2017.
de Witt, J. (2017) 'Resilience for Healthcare practice: A study to explore student perceptions of personal resilience and the potential role of coaching approaches in building resilience', 28th International Networking for Healthcare Education Conference. Churchill College Cambridge, 5th to 7th September 2017.
de Witt, J. (2017) 'Resilience for clinical practice; project findings', National Association of Educators in Practice Conference. The Studio, Birmingham, 21st April 2017.
de Witt, J., and Wood, K. (2017) 'Role of coaching approach and appreciative enquiry in student skills based formative assessment feedback', UK Radiological and Radiation Oncology Congress. Manchester Central Convention Complex, 12th to 14th June 2017.
Miller, P.K., Woods, A.L., Sloane, C. and Booth, L. (2016) 'Obesity, heuristic reasoning and the organization of communicative embarrassment in patient-facing diagnostic radiography', UKRC Clinical Imaging Conference. Liverpool ACC, 6th to 8th June 2016. doi: 10.13140/RG.2.1.3655.6408.
Sloane, C. and Miller, P.K. (2016) 'Soft Skills and Hard Lessons: The future of Radiography Education in the UK', UKRC Clinical Imaging Conference. Liverpool ACC, 6th to 8th June 2016. doi: 10.13140/RG.2.1.3393.4960.
de Witt, J. (2016) 'Exploring the potential role coaching skills for student development', 27th International Networking for Healthcare Education Conference. Churchill College Cambridge, 6th to 8th September 2016.
Woods, A.L., Miller, P.K. and Sloane, C. (2015) 'Patient obesity and the practical experience of the medical imaging professional: an interpretative phenomenological analysis', UKRC Clinical Imaging Conference. Liverpool ACC, 29th June to 1st July 2015. doi: 10.13140/RG.2.1.3393.4960.
Commissioned Reports (2015-)
Waring, L. and Bolton, G.C. (2018). Direct entry postgraduate ultrasound, the University of Cumbria experience. Health Education England.
Waring, L., Miller, P.K. and Sloane, C. (2015) The future of sonographic education. Health Education England.