Radiologic technologist

Radiographer

A Radiographer with a radiographic examination table and X-Ray tube.
Occupation
Names	Radiographer Diagnostic Radiographer Radiologic Technologist
Occupation type	Professional
Activity sectors	Allied health profession
Description
Competencies	The use of technology to produce diagnostically useful radiographic media. Requires knowledge of Anatomy, Medical Law, Pathology, Patient Care, Physiology, Radiation Protection, Radiography, Radiology and Treatment
Education required	Usually an undergraduate degree (BSc, B.Sc. or A.Sc.), or diploma in less developed countries; see Education and Role Variation for more information.
Related jobs	Radiologist Radiation therapist

Radiographers, also known as radiologic technologists, diagnostic radiographers and medical radiation technologists are healthcare professionals who specialise in the imaging of human anatomy for the diagnosis and treatment of pathology. Radiographers are infrequently, and almost always erroneously, known as x-ray technicians. In countries which use the title radiologic technologist they are often informally referred to as techs in the clinical environment; this phrase has emerged in popular culture such as television programmes.

Radiographers work in both public and private healthcare and can be physically located in any setting where appropriate diagnostic equipment is located, most frequently in hospitals. Their practice varies country to country and can even vary between hospitals in the same country.

Radiographers are represented by a variety of organisations worldwide, including the International Society of Radiographers and Radiologic Technologists (ISRRT) which aims to give direction to the profession as a whole through collaboration with national representative bodies.

Until around 1918 radiographers were known as skiagraphers; the term is derived from the Ancient Greek words for 'shadow' and 'writer'.

A radiographer uses their expertise and knowledge of patient care, physics, human anatomy, physiology, pathology and radiology to assess patients, develop optimum radiological techniques and evaluate the resulting radiographic media.

This branch of healthcare is extremely varied, especially between different countries, and as a result radiographers in one country often have a completely different role to that of radiographers in another. However, the base responsibilities of the radiographer are summarised below: