When managing children who have experienced suspected physical abuse, producing high quality images is crucial in enabling effective investigation of these complex cases.

This course has been developed to support implementation of the Royal College of Radiologists and the Society and College of Radiographers publication The radiological investigation of suspected physical abuse.

The course is divided into five modules:

Introduction – giving a background to the course

Making the referral for imaging – what are the requirements and information necessary to ensure the correct images are taken within the necessary timeframes?

Producing images – how can you ensure the necessary images are taken with minimal possible radiation exposure and patient distress?

Reporting images – who should evaluate the images and how should this be documented?

Follow-up imaging – how can you ensure that all necessary follow-up imaging takes place?

This resource has been created predominantly for radiographers and nuclear medicine technologists, radiologists and hospital-based paediatricians.

However, it may also be of interest to registered children’s nurses, play therapists, Accident and Emergency (A&E) staff, community-based health professionals and safeguarding lead professionals, all of whom may be involved in the imaging process.

To help you undertake the learning relevant for you, the specific target audience for each module has been identified below.

The overall aim of this resource is to provide an overview of the principles behind the guidance, along with practical demonstrations and advice on how to obtain the best possible quality images within the necessary timeframes.

By the end of this eLearning, you will be able to:

• Identify the implications of the guidance and its recommendations for practice in your specific professional area
• Outline how to effectively implement the guidance in your local organisation in collaboration with your multidisciplinary team colleagues

Special thanks to London South Bank University and Evelina London Children’s Hospital in their assistance in producing videos for this eLearning