EXPERIMENTAL EVIDENCE ON EDUCATIONAL INTERVENTIONS FOR RADIOLOGY RESIDENTS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS

Abstract

Introduction: Radiology residency programs face growing pressures from rising examination volumes, rapid technological change, and competing clinical demands. Objective: To identify and synthesize evidence from randomized controlled trials on technological, pedagogical, individual, and environmental interventions influencing diagnostic competence, knowledge retention, and well-being in radiology residents. Methods: Systematic review following PRISMA 2020, with searches in PubMed and Google Scholar through January 2026. Restricted to RCTs with populations exclusively comprising radiology residents. Methodological quality assessed with Cochrane Risk of Bias 2.0. Results: Five eligible RCTs were identified (251 radiology residents). CAD-assisted BI-RADS training produced scores equivalent to expert teaching and superior to self-study (52±7.3 vs 38±3.7 points; p<0.05). Integrated pedagogy outperformed traditional teaching on theoretical (170.3 vs 155.7) and practical assessments (160.7 vs 135.8; both p<0.001; Cohen d>1.0) on a 200-point scale. Low-dose CT (2 mSv) showed equivalent diagnostic accuracy to standard-dose CT in 107 residents. Audience response systems did not improve retention scores (primary outcome negative; p=0.41). Blue-light filtering glasses showed a non-significant trend toward symptom reduction. Conclusions: Available experimental evidence is limited. CAD-assisted training and integrated pedagogical approaches appear beneficial. Null results highlight the need for adequately powered trials.