ESTRO 2024 - Abstract Book

S5772

RTT - Education, training, advanced practice and role developments

ESTRO 2024

Results:

A total of 115 responses were collected: quantitative analysis of the results showed that most professionals (47% of the respondents) shared the view that basic academic training is not always suitable for the acquisition of the skills required to those who are introduced into a radiation therapy setting. However, 97% of them reported that the onboarding training allowed them to acquire the necessary skills to manage RT techniques accurately and safely; 30% of them also had to perform additional self-study. 88% of the professionals dedicated 10% to 30% of their academic coursework to radiotherapy; the main focuses were on image acquisition and virtual simulation (64%), professionalism (49%), and treatment verification (53%). On the contrary, the topics least covered during the three year training were research (50%), treatment planning (43%), as well as inter and intra professional communication (36%). There is also little involvement of RTTs in continuing education and research activities: 55% of them almost never participate in training moments concerning RT topics (0 to 1 event per year), while 50% have never been involved in research projects and/or scientific publications, and 32% are only rarely involved. With regard to psychology, results showed that more than one half of the professionals did not have a specific training on this field during their academic (68%), onboarding (80%) or professional (58%) training; the situation improves when considering aspects of communication, respectively 46%, 54% and 42%.

Conclusion:

At the end of the analysis of the results, there is evidence of a mismatch between the skills possessed at the end of basic training and the skills needed in a work environment. The effects of this situation are reflected not only on purely technical aspects, but especially on issues that are fundamental for recognition and advancement in the profession such as involvement in research activities, proper continuing education in the professional field, and in depth study of concepts related to communication and psychology. In conclusion, this paper can be considered an analysis of the current situation of the training field for RTTs in Italy.

Keywords: radiation therapist, competence, survey