Bringing teaching files under a single platform can tackle many of the issues facing radiology trainers

Teaching files are a cornerstone of radiology education, allowing trainees to study real diagnostic cases, compare findings and build pattern-recognition skills.

Medical technology company Rosenfield Health says that, in some departments, cases are stored across multiple systems or manually prepared for educational use. With the UK radiology workforce shortage, strengthening training infrastructure is a strategic priority for NHS organisations, and one of the most important considerations in teaching file management is patient data protection, it says. According to Rosenfield, data from the UK Information Commissioner’s Office shows that in 2024 the health sector recorded 2,443 reported data breach incidents. A significant proportion of breaches occur when sensitive information is shared or handled incorrectly. “For radiology departments, this reinforces the need for automated, governance-friendly tools that ensure anonymisation occurs securely at the source,” the company states.

Another challenge facing many NHS trusts is the reliance on PACS-based teaching file systems. “When teaching cases are embedded directly within a specific PACS environment, they become dependent on that vendor’s ecosystem. As trusts replace imaging systems at scale, teaching archives tied to legacy platforms risk becoming inaccessible or lost entirely,” it continues. “This is why many radiology leaders are now prioritising vendor-neutral teaching file platforms that remain independent of imaging infrastructure changes.”

In addition, some training resources may be scattered across multiple systems. However, dedicated teaching platforms such as iCode Teaching Files bring radiology education into a single environment, enabling educators to organise cases, manage assessments and support trainees within a unified system.

Another advantage of modern teaching file platforms is their ability to support regional training programmes. When teaching resources are confined in individual trust systems, collaboration between hospitals and imaging academies can be difficult. Vendor-neutral platforms help address this challenge by allowing teaching libraries to be shared securely across training networks, Rosenfield concludes.

Picture: an important consideration in teaching file management is ensuring patient data protection.

Published on page 12 of the April 2026 issue of RAD Magazine.