ESTRO 2023 - Abstract Book

S2063

Digital Posters

ESTRO 2023

PO-2294 The development of a virtual escape room to support a simulated radiotherapy teaching block

H. Lawrence 1 , A. Maggs 1

1 University of the West of England, Health and Applied Sciences, Bristol, United Kingdom

Purpose or Objective The University of the West of England has recently incorporated a simulation block into the teaching and learning pedagogy of the BSC (Hons) Radiotherapy and Oncology programme. The simulation block delivery traditionally relies on face-to-face authentic activities that are human resource intensive. However, recent literature supports the concept that not all simulated placement activities need to be delivered face-to-face in order to provide an authentic learning environment (Taylor, 2020; Liaw et al., 2019). With this in mind, the radiotherapy and oncology team explored the idea of developing an online placement activity that could encourage meaningful placement learning utilising self-directed online learning opportunities during a simulated placement block. The aim of this poster is to describe the development of a virtual escape room that encourages legitimate placement learning beyond traditional models to offer students new opportunities to gain clinical skills in a non-clinical setting. Materials and Methods The software programme ‘Xerte’ was used to create a virtual escape room. A 360 degree photo of a linear accelerator bunker provided the backdrop for the activities that students must complete in order to ‘escape’ from the linear accelerator room. The activities were created to develop skills such as clinical reasoning, prioritising, communication, patient care and understanding of basic radiotherapy procedures. The escape room designed for first year students followed the patient from the waiting room to correctly setting up the patient for a palliative treatment. Each activity was linked to the 360 degree image using hot spots which needed to be successfully completed in a logical sequence in order to ‘escape’ the room. Successful completion of the activities unlocked the final hot spot which was the ‘last man out’ button and signalled the end of the online activity. The escape room design can be easily adapted to cover a range of scenarios and could be adapted to meet the needs of more senior students. Results The escape room was successfully developed and was incorporated into the timetable for a simulated placement block at the University of the West of England. Conclusion The development of a virtual escape room is a cost effective, user friendly, innovative way to develop clinical skills outside of the clinical setting. Simulated placements are challenging to timetable and can result in gaps in the student timetable which can become frustrating for students. Self-directed learning activities can ensure that the student timetable is populated with meaningful learning activities that can include face-to-face and self-directed online learning opportunities. 1 Guys and St Thomas's NHS Foundation Trust, Radiotherapy, London, United Kingdom; 2 Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, Radiotherapy, London, United Kingdom; 3 Barking, Havering, and Redbridge University Hospital NHS Trust, Radiotherapy, London, United Kingdom; 4 Royal Free London, Radiotherapy, London, United Kingdom; 5 North Middlesex University Hospital, Radiotherapy, London, United Kingdom; 6 Musgrove Park Hospital, Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, Radiotherapy, Taunton, United Kingdom Purpose or Objective The purpose was to develop an image verification passport for RTTs to streamline the training process, the passport is a training and competency document that allows the trainee to complete a training programme that is transferable to London radiotherapy centres. The objective was to better understand the current IGRT training and assessment needs in five radiotherapy departments in London. Materials and Methods Therapeutic Radiographers were purposively recruited from each radiotherapy department. An online survey with a five- point Likert scale was deployed to assess the needs IGRT training and assessment. The data was collected and assessed using descriptive statistics and represented as percentages for favourable or non-favourable opinion towards the current training within the RTTs current department. There was also mean experience in years was given. The study approval was sought through the local department research and development. Results 66 RTTs from the five London radiotherapy departments of varying sizes participated. The median years qualified was 10 years. There was a favourable attitude to the current IGRT training packages in the five departments. However, there were some elements that could be improved. Current training and assessment methods are appropriate for training staff. 75% of those RTTs that had trained in other departments felt that the training in their current department was a repetition of their previous competencies. 53% of the RTTs felt the training was the correct length of time, whereas 32% felt it took too long. RTTs expressed a need for training and assessment packages to be broken down by anatomical cancer sites and training modified to match the existing experience radiographers. The development of the VIP will address the issues raised by the RTTS. Conclusion Current training practices in each of the five departments is favourable to a high percentage of the participants, the way in which the training is delivered and assessed is similar to that used in the VIP. The VIP aims to address the issues raised PO-2295 Developing a Verification Imaging Passport (VIP): Assessment of need in 5 radiotherapy departments. T. Barnes 1,6 , H. Jones 1 , S. Armstrong 2 , E. Borchardt 3 , E. Halliday 4 , Z. Butt 5