ESTRO 2023 - Abstract Book

S602

Monday 15 May 2023

ESTRO 2023

It is feasible to train RTTs to lead the oART process. This is particularly true in the CBCT-guided setting due to the extensive experience RTTs already have with IGRT and soft tissue matching. This has led to many more patients being offered oART within our department and we hope to roll out training to more anatomical sites as we continue to evolve our adaptive program.

PD-0736 Enhancing RTT Education Through UDL: A Spotlight on Treatment Planning E. Forde 1 1 Trinity College Dublin, Discipline of Radiation Therapy, Dublin, Ireland

Purpose or Objective Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a set of principles within curriculum development that gives all students equal opportunities to learn. The aim of this project was to integrate UDL into the education of radiation therapists (RTTs) in treatment planning. In doing so we aimed to enhance the quality of education and student experience. Materials and Methods New content for students studying treatment planning as part of a four-year undergraduate honours degree in radiation therapy was curated under the lens of UDL. A range of bespoke and diverse teaching materials capturing two of the core principles of UDL (i.e., multiple means of engagement, and multiple means of representation) were created and made available through the University’s virtual learning environment. In addition to standard lecture slides and lab notes, students were provided with: • podcasts in which faculty members critically discuss peer reviewed publications, • recorded demonstrations of creation and evaluation of treatment plans, • access to an online form enabling students to anonymously ask questions outside of class times, • online polls to test knowledge of core principles. Whilst there was no student choice in the method of assessments, a range of strategies were used within the module to support the UDL principle of multiple means of action/expression. Results Student attendance in this module was very high, with 78% of students attending 100% of the timetabled sessions. An improvement in academic achievement was evident with an increase in the number of students obtaining an overall mark of 70% or higher (Grade I) in the class who had access to the additional teaching aids, relative to previous groups of students who did not. Students appreciated the additional tailor-made material and provided positive feedback; “ Enjoyed the podcasts for critical appraisal understanding. Really found the open Q&A form great to ask questions you think of after class, I wish we had this in every module!”, “The additional work put into this module really helps students when they are confused…I feel it has really positively impacted the radiation therapist I will become. ” Conclusion By introducing additional, customized educational supports beyond standard lecture material, students’ engagement and learning of this practical subject area was enhanced in a university environment. Students appreciated the range of materials provided, underpinned by the UDL pillars of multiple means of engagement, multiple means of representation, and multiple means of action/expression. 1 Bowen Icon Cancer Centre, Radiation Therapy, Wellington, New Zealand; 2 University of Otago, Department of Radiation Therapy, Wellington, New Zealand; 3 Icon Group, Radiation Therapy, Brisbane, Australia; 4 Icon Cancer Centre Maroochydore, Radiation Therapy, Maroochydore, Australia Purpose or Objective Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, our Australian-based network of cancer centres launched five radiation oncology departments within Mainland China. With limitations on international and domestic travel, a remote training and supervision program was established to support local staff during the preparation and commencement of clinical services. Here we report the design of the IGRT program component and subsequent outcomes from program evaluation and clinical auditing. Materials and Methods Online surveys and semi-structured interviews were used to establish baseline clinical experience and education of recruited RTTs in China as well as evaluating subsequent training experience within the developed program. The design of the IGRT training program was aligned with RTT baseline experience and required competencies to perform online CBCT matching for all treatment sites. The program was also required to be deliverable by trainers based in Australia and New Zealand. Online, bilingual teaching resources were developed and complemented by asynchronous methods of remote competency assessment. Wearable video headsets were used to provide remote support at the treatment console for go- live, with a structured audit program implemented thereafter to track IGRT procedural compliance and identify areas for ongoing professional development. Results 16 RTTs completed the survey and participated in semi-structured interviews. All had either bachelor- or diploma-level qualifications, the majority (69%) relating to medical imaging. 25% of RTTs had no prior radiation therapy experience. 69% and 75% of RTTs had no experience with CBCT and daily imaging, respectively. The IGRT training program was the most positively rated component of the overarching onboarding course, whilst simultaneously described as one of the largest practice changes from prior RTT experience. Weekly IGRT audit data from December 2021 to July 2022 was analysed, which comprised 1607 randomly selected treatment fractions across all departments. Using a standardised assessment rubric, procedural compliance was 98.4% across the reporting period. 41 minor deviations and 6 major deviations were identified. These most commonly related to incorrect prioritisation of matching, followed by the application of couch corrections exceeding standard action thresholds. PD-0737 Internationally led remote IGRT training and outcomes for RTTs in Mainland China A. Leong 1,2 , S. Kirrane 3 , B. Huang 4 , C. Smith 3