Management and Leadership in Radiology: Annotated Bibliography

Gunderman, RB, Willing, SJ. Motivation in Radiology: Implications for Leadership. Radiology. 2002; 225: 1-5.

The authors discuss how to better motivate the overall field of radiology with respect departments within hospital settings. They first outline the major factors’ that determine the success of departments of radiology such as hygiene, administrative policies, supervisory changes, interpersonal relationships, and workplace conditions. The authors’ reason that these elements affect how well staff is motivated and in turn, overall job satisfaction. These elements can essentially make or break a leader as employees need to feel they matter and that their opinions can be expressed when needed. This increases productivity and ensures that the manager and/or chairman of the radiation department can express his/her leadership to the best of their abilities. Additionally, the authors note that motivation is also key among leadership and creating a better and more effective radiation department in the realm of compensation, achievement, and responsibility. The challenging part about a motivated staff is in ensuring that they are both challenged and enhanced. How can a leader ensure this? The authors suggest that management theory can be specifically applied.

The content within the article is well written and intended to be solely for managers and leaders in the field of radiation/oncology treatment. The information is relevant in terms of increasing productivity and efficiency - the right way, in hospital environments. There did not appear to be any relevant bias in the article as to who the authors were writing it toward, but more of a perspective reasoning on how radiological departments can more cohesively function.

Personal Summary

Organization and proper management are crucial components in any sector. I was recently discussing the importance of teamwork with a peer and he was telling me about his boss that he has at the hospital. This peer of mine is working toward being a dietitian for patients' who receive radiation treatment. He was telling me about the lack of understanding he is receiving from his boss and others around him and how much of the information he is learning on his own and in the classes he is taking so he can become a registered dietician. He informed me that while he is learning to deal with patients' by being in the hospital setting, better oriented staff and protocol in the arena of nutritional therapy for patients who receive radiation is definitely needed.