Technologist Section Publications

JNMT

JNMT was founded in 1973 because the growing numbers of nuclear medicine technologists recognized a need to share and discuss the basic sciences and techniques associated with their daily activities. As a result, high-quality peer-reviewed scientific content was included from the beginning.

UPTAKE

Uptake, the official newsletter of the Technologist Section, was created to enhance and supplement published information to the technologist community. At the time of its creation, JNMT was the only publication that provided scientific research and continuing education articles, as well as reports from the leadership and summary information from supporting organizations (Nuclear Medicine Technology Certification Board, Joint Review Committee on Educational Programs in Nuclear Medicine Technology, American Registry of Radiologic Technologists, and others). The recognized limitation of JNMT was its quarterly production and the guidelines for the publication of content. Any report published in JNMT was months old at the time of publication. Time-sensitive and informational materials that did not meet the strict publication guidelines of JNMT needed an alternate medium that did not require the same peer-review process and could be published multiple times each year; thus, Uptake was born.

The first issue of Uptake was published in November 1994. As the first editor of Uptake, Mickey Clarke, CNMT, was responsible for gathering information from the leadership, soliciting informational or brief educational articles, and meeting the goal of producing the newsletter 6 times each year.

Although successful, the responsibilities of finding sufficient content for Uptake was a challenge for the editor; thus, the production timelines for 6 issues per year could not always be met. To address this challenge, in 2000 the Technologist Section publications committee created an Uptake editorial board comprising the current publication committee chair and 5 technologist members. In later years, the board would be expanded to include 8 members, elected on a rotational basis to serve a term of 2 years. Each board member serves as the editor for one issue of Uptake on a rotating basis. Each editor chairs the brainstorming session with fellow board members to develop content for the assigned issue. During that session, topics and authors are identified. After the meeting, the editor is responsible for contacting and communicating with authors, following up as necessary to ensure that timelines are met, and forwarding content to the Technologist Section publication chair and the managing editor in the SNMMI publications department, Rebecca Maxey. As a team, board members review incoming content and provide final approval before publication. Under this new structure, and thanks to the tireless efforts of the SNMMI publication staff, Uptake is, and continues to be, successful in meeting its goal of 6 issues each year.

In its infancy, Uptake was distributed as a print-only newsletter with a limit of 8 pages per issue. In 2009, the popularity of the Internet offered a cost-effective alternate source for distributing the newsletter, giving members the option of receiving either a hard-copy or an online version of each issue; however, budget constraints continued to limit the number of pages for each issue. In 2017, Uptake moved to a digital-only format, eliminating the page limitation and allowing the editorial board much greater latitude for enhanced content.

Uptake is celebrating its 26th year of publication. It is a Technologist Section exclusive member benefit that provides current news about the field of nuclear medicine technology and updates on the activities of SNMMI-TS.

BOOKS

In 1982, the Technologist Section began publishing books to supplement those being published by the Society of Nuclear Medicine. In reviewing the titles of the Technologist Section books, it is easy to recognize that many of them were developed to meet the educational needs of student technologists learning the basics of nuclear medicine technology or preparing for certification examinations, as well as nuclear medicine technologists learning new techniques or preparing for advanced certification examinations (e.g., study guides for nuclear cardiology and PET). Additional titles have been developed over the years to help technologists whose professional responsibilities have shifted. These titles help them perform procedures in a new setting and can help them adhere to published guidelines while providing the best possible patient care. One additional title provided a Spanish/English translation of the most common procedures performed in nuclear medicine at that time.

In 2017, the Technologist Section began publishing a series of mini books. In each preface, the mini books are described as, “dedicated to a single nuclear medicine procedure or imaging category…[and] designed to provide an educational pathway for improving quality, increasing safety and reducing the radiation burden for nuclear medicine procedures.” Online versions of the mini books are offered to members free of charge. The hard-copy versions are available for purchase by members and nonmembers. The titles of the first 2 mini books, published in 2016 and 2017, are Myocardial Perfusion Imaging 2016: Quality, Safety, and Dose Optimization and Abdominal Imaging 2017: Quality, Safety, and Dose Optimization. The next mini book will focus on oncology and is scheduled for publication in 2020.

The following are the books published by the Technologist Section:

• Steves AM, Perkins DA, Pollack RS, eds. Clinical Evaluation Methods Guide, sponsored by the Academic Affairs Committee. 1982.

• Boyd M, et al., eds. (1982 edition), or Mundy WM, Passmore G, eds. (1992 edition). Curriculum Guide for Nuclear Medicine Technologists, sponsored by the Academic Affairs Committee. 1982 and 1992.

• Hibbard WM, Lance SP, eds. Laboratory Manual for Nuclear Medicine Technology. 1984.

• Harkness B, Christian P, Rowell KL. Clinical Computers in Nuclear Medicine. 1992.

• English RJ, Brown SE. SPECT: Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography: A Primer. 1986, 1990, and (English-only) 1990.

• Gilbert S, et al. Quality Assurance Resource Manual for Nuclear Medicine. 1990.

• Steves AM. Review of Nuclear Medicine Technology. 1992.

• Steves AM. Review of Nuclear Medicine Technology. 1996.

• Steves AM. Preparation for Certification Examinations in Nuclear Medicine Technology. 1997.

• Steves AM. Review of Nuclear Medicine Technology: Preparation for Certification Examinations. 2004.

• Bolus N, Brady A, eds. Steves’ Review of Nuclear Medicine Technology. 2011.

• Bolus N, Glasgow KW, eds. Review of Nuclear Medicine Technology. 2018.

• Socio-Economic Affairs Committee. Developing Employee Assessments and Competencies. 1996–1997.

• Glowniak J. Internet Guide for Allied Health Professionals. 1997.

• Wells P (with computerized practice test diskette by Pickett M in 1999 edition). Practical Mathematics in Nuclear Medicine Technology. 1999 and 2011.

• Lee KH. Computers in Nuclear Medicine: A Practical Approach. 1991 and 2005.

• Murphy K. Speedy CE. 2001 (in 4 volumes).

• Murphy K, Waterstram-Rich KM, Wells P. Curriculum Guide for Educational Programs in Nuclear Medicine Technology. 2002.

• Crawford E, Husain S. Nuclear Cardiac Imaging: Terminology and Technical Aspects. 2003 and 2010.

• Mas JC. A Patients Guide to Nuclear Medicine Procedures. 2008 (full and pocket editions).

• Mantel ES, Basso DA, Thomas KS, Kerr BR. Quick Reference Protocol Manual for Nuclear Medicine Technologists. Farrell MB, ed. 2014.

• Lee KH. Basic Science of Nuclear Medicine: The Bare Bone Essentials. 2015.

• Farrell MB, ed. Myocardial Perfusion Imaging 2016: Quality, Safety, and Dose Optimization (title 1 in mini book series). 2016.

• Bolus N, Farrell MB, Zimmerman J, eds. Abdominal Imaging 2017: Quality, Safety, and Dose Optimization (title 2 in mini book series). 2017.

• Christian PE, Swanston NM. PET Study Guide. 2010 and 2015.

• Alessi AM, Hyun MC. NCT Study Guide. Johnson SG, Farrell MB, eds. 2010 and 2015.