ESTRO 2022 - Abstract Book

S593

Abstract book

ESTRO 2022

The survey highlights the need for focussing on not only training the RTTs in terms of research but also help motivate to undertake research projects in the future. The awareness for good academic research, though present, has not been able to translate in to actual results.

PD-0659 Barriers in education and professional development of Belgian RTTs: a qualitative study

F. Sousa 1 , A. Vaandering 2 , J.G. Couto 3 , M. Somoano 4 , D. Van Gestel 4

1 Institut Jules Bordet, Radiation Oncology Department - Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium; 2 Cliniques Universitaires Saint Luc, Radiation Oncology Department, Brussels, Belgium; 3 Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Malta, Radiography Department, Msida, Malta; 4 Institut Jules Bordet , Radiation Oncology Department - Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium Purpose or Objective In some countries, radiation therapists (RTT) are highly skilled professionals with a recognised diploma/degree, but in others, they only have access to in-service training without formal recognition. The latest clinical audits of Belgian Radiotherapy (RT) departments identified that RTTs lack training and professional development. The Belgian law still stipulates that nurses can practice RT, despite the absence of RT specific training except for 60 hours of radioprotection. In addition, Medical Imaging Technologists (MIT), who have some RT training, can access RT practice but this is not legally recognized. Moreover, inequality of curricula exists across the country. Some health schools, national societies, and hospitals offer training to minimise this issue. However, the absence of a legal framework to formalise RTT training remains a weak point, with the potential to affect patient care. This study investigated the barriers in education and professional development of MIT and nurses working in RT in the French and Dutch-speaking parts of the country and future perspectives for both health care groups. Materials and Methods Recruitment was done using a critical case sampling technique: nine Belgian experts with vast RT experience, who were likely to yield the most information and generate new knowledge, were invited for the interviews. Out of these, 4 physicians, 3 nurses, and 1 physicist accepted to participate. The interviewees were involved in education and were active members of at least one national or international society. A semi-structured questionnaire was used, and thematic analysis was performed by the first 2 authors who open-coded all interviews. Results After independent coding, discussions between the researchers lead to a consensus regarding the final themes and sub- themes (Table 1).