Building a Pool of Future Technologist Authors

Kathy S. Thomas

Kathy S. Thomas, MHA, CNMT, PET, FSNMMI-TS

The annual meeting of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, provided participants with the opportunity to explore new technological advances, discuss current techniques, and explore promising innovations for the future. It also provided the Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology (JNMT) with a target-rich pool of potential authors for future scientific manuscripts for the journal.

Thanks to the support and team effort of two associate editors, Mary Beth Farrell and Frances Neagley, we were able to meet with technologist and student authors presenting oral scientific abstracts at the annual meeting. The goal of this one-on-one meeting was to encourage authors to expand their abstracts into full scientific manuscripts and share that important information in the JNMT. Technologist authors submitting posters were also contacted via email and with postcards encouraging the expansion of their important work. Additionally, to support these future JNMT authors, a continuing education program was presented to explain and demonstrate the conversion of an abstract into a scientific manuscript or brief communication. The program also provided a brief discussion on the peer-review process so that future authors would understand what to expect once a manuscript has been submitted.

As the only peer-reviewed publication dedicated to nuclear medicine technology, it is important that the JNMT continues to provide current and future technologic advancements in the field. By supporting and mentoring technologist authors, meaningful scientific work presented at the annual meeting or performed in clinical practice can be shared with JNMT readers around the world.

In this issue, thanks to the commitment of our technologist authors, we have three excellent continuing education offerings. The first article continues the discussion presented in the June issue on Pharmacology. This is an exceptional series that, when completed, will provide the technologist community with a comprehensive understanding on pharmacology and radiopharmaceuticals used in nuclear medicine and molecular imaging. The second article discusses mentoring and its application and benefits for nuclear medicine technologists. The final continuing education article discusses the experience of one institution implementing a successful ¹⁷⁷Lu-DOTATATE therapeutic program. Following the ¹⁷⁷Lu-DOTATATE article is a Practical Protocol Tip that provides a concise description of the ¹⁷⁷Lu-DOTATATE therapy protocol that can be copied and incorporated into the department’s policy and procedure manual.

The Educators’ Forum presents an interesting discussion on reimaging the design and development of nuclear medicine technology programs with the intent of enhancing quality outcomes for students and institutions.

The scientific articles and teaching cases once again offer a wide diversity of topics including comparison of SUL (SUV using lean body mass as a mass estimate) values in oncologic ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT; the use of ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT to predict the development of thyroiditis due to immunotherapy for lung cancer; administered activity dose adjustment for molecular breast imaging; time-of-flight information improving detectability in PET/CT; and the role of intensity transformation function to enhance bone images. In the radiopharmacy and adjunctive medications section, there is a discussion on rapid instant thin-layer chromatography for determining the radiochemical purity of ⁶⁸Ga-DOTATATE and a look at direct synthesis of radioactive gold nanoparticles using a research reactor. The teaching cases include a look at a pinhole parallax error for the localization of thyroid pathology; the use of ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT to evaluate primary eosinophilic granuloma; and a discussion of peptide receptor radionuclide therapy with ¹⁷⁷Lu-DOTATE in carcinoid heart disease.

In the Special Contributions section, an important document titled “The Model Practice Act for Nuclear Medicine Technology—A Tool for Public Protection and Legislative Change” is included. This model act is designed to provide support and be used as a guideline for those working through the labyrinth of government agencies developing regulatory guidelines and licensure language associated with nuclear medicine technology.

As mentioned in my previous editorial, and will most likely sound like a broken record in future editorials, the JNMT is a peer-reviewed publication that needs your help! Each manuscript published in the JNMT undergoes an important peer-review process that is only as good as the volunteers willing to share their expertise by becoming reviewers for manuscripts that fall in their area of interest. We have a growing number of dedicated technologist reviewers; however, we still need more! If you are interested in becoming a reviewer for the JNMT, please visit the JNMT manuscript submission website (https://submit-jnm-snmjournals.org/) or contact me (ksthomas0412{at}msn.com). And for those who are considering becoming a JNMT reviewer but as a novice feel that additional information would be helpful, a free continuing education webinar titled “Tips and Guidelines for JNMT Reviewers” will be offered on Tuesday, September 18, 2018, at 3 pm EST. Join us for this informative program and learn how to be a successful JNMT reviewer.

The growth and development of the JNMT continues to rely, in part, on the comments and suggestions of its readership. In the next few months, a brief survey will be circulated to obtain important information that will be used to develop content and direction for the journal in the coming years. Please take a few moments to share your thoughts and suggestions on ways the JNMT can help to support and enhance your professional growth.