The British Institute of Radiology (BIR) has revealed details about membership and readership growth made over the past 18 months.
The BIR has switched to online delivery of training and education packages, and it produced the first global conference on COVID-19 imaging. This was followed by a series of events, guidance, and materials. COVID-19 research was also fast-tracked for publication in BIR journals, and all COVID-19 events and materials were provided free of charge.
The BIR delivered 38 virtual events and hosted the annual conferences of six fellow medical organizations. Paid membership grew to record levels, from 2,964 to 3,449 members, with 10,274 delegates educated at live events. Recorded educational events were viewed 18,841 times over the year, and more than 1.2 million journal papers were downloaded by readers.
The BIR also launched its first two accredited BIR video courses and a posters and clips platform to accompany major events.
In recognition of these achievements, the BIR was shortlisted for Membership Organisation of the Year 2021 in the Memcom Awards, winning the Highly Commended award. In the same scheme, BIR's chief executive Simon Thompson was the winner of the 2021 CEO Leadership Award.
