ESTRO 2024 - Abstract Book

S2695

Interdisciplinary - Education in radiation therapy

ESTRO 2024

2052

Digital Poster

Simulation-based medical education to learn soft skills in radiation oncology

Selma Ben Mustapha 1 , Josephine Declaye 2 , Nadège Dubois 2 , Séverine Cucchiaro 3 , Michael Noël 3 , Marie-Ange Pereira 3 , Justine Monseur 4 , Alexandre Ghuysen 5 , Philippe Coucke 3 1 UZ Brussel, Department of Radiation Oncology, Brussel, Belgium. 2 University of Liège, Department of Public Health, Liège, Belgium. 3 University Hospital of Liège, Department of Radiation Oncology, Liège, Belgium. 4 Biostatistics and Research Method Center, University of Liège, Department of Public Health, Liège, Belgium. 5 University Hospital of Liège, University of Liège, Department of Emergency Medecine, Liège, Belgium

Purpose/Objective:

To evaluate the effectiveness of Simulation-Based Medical Education (SBME) in implementing communication skills and quality management procedures in a team of radiation oncology professionals.

Material/Methods:

As part of an international educational initiative (INTERREG Va Greater Region Program), Radiation Therapists (RTTs), Board Certified Radiation Oncologists (BCROs), and Radiation Oncology Residents (RROs) were invited to participate in a two-day simulation-based training module. The module included a session on communicating with patients and other healthcare providers using communication skills, including the SPIKES method of breaking bad news and interprofessional communication methods such as SBAR, Speak Up, and Time Out, as well as a separate session on reporting and analyzing Safety-Related Events (SREs) and implementing improvement procedures.

A series of questionnaires were distributed to assess Overall Satisfaction (OS), Self-Confidence In Learning (SCIL) and simulation design with the Simulation Design Scale (SDS). The SCIL and SDS are validated questionnaires (1).

A practice-change questionnaire was sent to participants six months after the training to assess the impact of the training on daily practice. A statistical analysis was conducted to describe participants' feedback.

Results:

Twenty-one participants, including 4 BRCOs, 7 RROs, and 10 RTTs from 3 different countries (4 hospitals), attended the 2-day module.

The median score for OS was 9 on a scale of 10, SCIL was rated 4 on a scale of 5, and SDS was rated 5 on a scale of 5.

Eighteen participants responded to the practice change questionnaire; the majority of participants indicated that they used the communication methods learned more than before the training (Table 1).

Table 1: Use of communication methods in daily practice 6 months after training and among the different groups.