Pandemic limits in-person training

The rise of COVID-19 has caused many hospitals and imaging centers across the USA to prohibit vendor access, even for educational purposes. Yet sites still requested training on the coils. "MR imaging has declined during the pandemic, because patients postponed elective exams," says Kamika Ward, application specialist with Invivo Sentinelle. "Fewer exams gave the technologists more unscheduled time, which would normally be perfect for training. But the travel restrictions made it impossible."

Remote approach preserves training

To ensure that customers learned how to use the coils despite travel restrictions, Ward and fellow specialist Valerie Manon created a virtual training module. The curriculum included Invivo Sentinelle breast coil assembly, quality control tests, functionality of the breast coil, patient positioning, and protocol recommendations.

Ward and Manon used a variety of applications, including Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Skype, Facetime and Duo to meet with customers. Manon notes that the virtual environment also allowed her to provide protocol advice and evaluate image quality remotely as the technologists scanned volunteers.

"The customers were very thankful for the alternative training," she says. "This is another example of how Dunlee goes above and beyond what is expected to help our customers succeed.