Radiodiagnosis

Organisation

The Radiodiagnosis Department offers a wide range of examinations. Requests are analysed to establish their suitability, and a standard individualised study protocol for each clinical situation is assigned. Protocols are revised and updated regularly to ensure the quality and relevance of the studies. The department is organised into sections, following an “Organ and System” structure, which means we are properly integrated into the rest of the hospital, ensuring a high degree of specialisation in each area:

• Abdominal Radiology
• Thoracic Radiology
• Women’s Radiology
• Musculoskeletal Radiology
• Neuroradiology
• Paediatric Radiology
• Cardiovascular Radiology
• Interventional Vascular Neuroradiology
• Interventional Vascular Radiology

Healthcare activity

Teaching and training

Undergraduate teaching

We are part of the University Degree Teaching Unit at the Autonomous University of Barcelona. As established in the Faculty of Medicine training programme, third and fourth-year medical students do internships in the Radiodiagnosis Department. In addition, some of the department’s medical staff give lectures and seminars for students.

Post-graduate teaching

We are accredited to train five residents a year through the medical residency (MIR) programme, with a sixth resident to be added in 2025. We also take in residents from other specialities in the same hospital, whose training programmes include rotations in Radiodiagnosis. In addition, we offer training placements for radiology residents from other hospitals in Catalonia that lack specific specialised areas of radiology, such as paediatric radiology, interventional vascular radiology and cardiovascular radiology.

Training Placements

Their purpose is to train competent, autonomous and responsible professionals in all the diagnostic and therapeutic techniques available to us. Training includes specific sessions for residents, internal sessions in each section, attending multidisciplinary committees and attending courses, workshops and national and international conferences, depending on the year of training.

Undergraduate Internships for Senior Technicians in Diagnostic Imaging (TSID)

The department hosts Advanced Technicians in Diagnostic Imaging (TSID) for internships through training agreements with eight schools.

Undergraduate Internships for Nursing Students

Our department also hosts internships for nursing students through an agreement with two universities.

In-service Training

This is available to all the department’s professionals and covers a wide range of types and disciplines, enabling professionals to expand and update their knowledge and skills in specific areas of interest. In 2023, the medical staff participated in 88 training sessions, including courses and conferences, the nursing staff in 32 training sessions, both in-person and online, and the technical staff in 7 conferences and 221 courses.

Training in Ultrasound Techniques

An internal training course in use of ultrasound equipment for the diagnosis of certain pathologies was organised and supervised by medical staff. The training plan includes theoretical knowledge, practical skills, clinical aspects and professional competencies, with the aim of ensuring the necessary quality in this task.

Fellowship

The Neuroradiology and Interventional Neuroradiology section offers a research Fellowship programme in conjunction with the Latin American Neuroradiology Society (SILAN). In addition, through the European Society of Radiology, the department hosts residents from the European Union in 3-month placements in all sections.

Research

As part of the VHIR Molecular Medical Imaging Group, the Radiodiagnosis Department promotes clinical research, leading and collaborating in many of the clinical trials and clinical research projects being conducted by the Vall d’Hebron Campus.

We participate in over 40 clinical research projects. The rise in the medical use of artificial intelligence (AI) shows the need for radiodiagnosis specialists to ensure proper clinical integration of solutions. In this case, we promote technological innovation projects with the aim of improving healthcare solutions and processes to move towards patient-centred personalised medicine.

The different sections in the department participate in over 100 clinical trials in adult and paediatric patients. Research allows us to advance knowledge and technological innovation, directly improving patients’ medical care and clinical evaluation. We promote multidisciplinary collaboration, facilitating joint research with other specialists.

Innovation

The Vall d’Hebron 3D Technology Unit, headed by Dr Manel Escobar, clinical director of the Diagnostic Imaging Department, and coordinated by Mrs Laura Escot, a biomedical engineer, is a cross-departmental unit under Healthcare Management that provides its services to all areas of the hospital, with a special focus on surgical areas.

This service, within Diagnostic Imaging, is a key element for developing activities in the Unit. Radiologists are responsible for defining image acquisition protocols that ensure the anatomical and pathological accuracy of the 3D models, while the imaging technicians ensure optimal image quality and generate detailed three-dimensional reconstructions, validated in conjunction with clinical specialists. Working together with the engineering team, the Unit drives:

• Innovative models for training in interventional radiology, improving both training and patients’ safety.
• Advanced 3D technology projects, such as digital twins and immersive technologies, aimed at personalising patient care.

As part of the FEDER 2022-2027 Programme, the Unit will develop the project "New digital technologies for the personalised approach to congenital and complex pathologies” in conjunction with the Radiodiagnosis Department.

Contact

Department email address: radiodiagnostic@vallhebron.cat

General Hospital:

Interventional vascular radiology and interventional radiology.  Tel. 93 557 88 85  (Floor 0, Area C)

Conventional radiology, ultrasound, radiology with contrast and CT. Tel. 93 557 88 45  (Floor 0, Area B)

Magnetic resonance MR1-MR2. Tel. 93 557 88 45  (Floor -2, Area C)

Magnetic resonance MR6. Tel. 93 557 88 45 (Floor 0, Area B)

Traumatology Hospital:

Computed tomography (CT). Tel. 93 557 88 05  (Floor -1)

Computer tomography (CT). Tel. 93 557 88 05  (Floor -1)

Conventional radiology, ultrasound, radiology with contrast Tel. 93 557 88 05  (Floor -1)

Children’s Hospital:

Magnetic resonance. Tel. 93 557 88 35 (Floor -2)

Conventional radiology, ultrasound, radiology with contrast and CT. 93 557 88 35 (Floor -2)

Women’s Hospital:

Women's radiology: mammography, ultrasound, MRI, CT: Tel. 93 557 88 25

Garbí Hospital:

Computed tomography (CT).  Tel. 93 557 88 45  (Garbí Building, Pere Virgili)