Radiographers’ Articulation Work in Medical Imaging

• In Event: Medical Sociology Section Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (90 minute): Table 18. Healthcare Providers & Practice II

Abstract

Although research has extensively examined physicians’ interpretation of medical images, far less attention has been paid to the earlier stage in which radiographers produce image quality, even though image quality often determines what physicians are able to see. Building on the concept of articulation work, this article examines how radiographers coordinate complex clinical situations during image production and how their practices shape image quality and the visibility of diagnosis. The analysis draws on two years of participant observation and twelve in-depth interviews with magnetic resonance imaging radiographers in a major Singaporean hospital. The findings show that, although the imaging process appears routine, patient conditions and organizational contexts continually disrupt the workflow. Radiographers must therefore undertake substantial work to bring the imaging process back on track. This study identifies several core strategies, including anticipating patient conditions, managing communication and positioning, and negotiate acceptable image quality during scanning. These practices rely on experiential and embodied knowledge developed through interaction with patients and colleagues, yet they are rarely reflected in medical records. By rendering this work analytically visible, the study challenges portrayals of radiographers as merely technically constrained and subordinate actors. It demonstrates that the management of image quality involves complex but largely invisible forms of articulation work that shape what becomes visible to radiologists and may at times determine whether diagnosis can proceed at all. By foregrounding image production, the article highlights the importance of the pre-diagnostic stage of medical work, showing that illness trajectories begin to be managed and shaped well before formal image interpretation takes place.

Author

• MIN YUAN HUNG, National Taiwan University