Neurodiagnostic Training in the United States and Around the Globe

Neurodiagnostic technologists are the heart of any clinical neurophysiology laboratory. The need for technologists has increased at a rapid rate recently. Since technologists enter the field from diverse paths, they have different experiences and levels of performance. The American Board of Registration of Electroencephalographic and Evoked Potential Technologists (ABRET) provides certification examinations to establish a minimal knowledge base for a technologist. ABRET recognizes four different pathways of eligibility for certification of different modalities in the United States. Neurologists and neurophysiologists across the globe interpret similar neurodiagnostic procedures as we do in the United States. In contrast, the state of technologists varies worldwide. Some countries do not have such a position. About 45% of those who have technologists do not have formal training, and those who do have limited certification opportunities. What can we do as a society? ASET has tried to fill the gap in education by providing access to its resources for free or at reduced cost. As technologists, we can also enhance access and resources for educational activities online, coordinate interactive workshops, and generate forums for discussions. We should also advocate for recognition of neurodiagnostic technologists as a health profession. This process can begin by collaborating with nurses, physicians, hospital administrators, and other neurodiagnostic societies locally, nationally, and abroad, to appeal to governmental health services or ministries and increase awareness of the essential role technologists play in the field of clinical neurophysiology.