a b s t r a c tBackground and purpose: Hypofractionated bladder RT with or without image guided adaptive planning (HYBRID) is a multicentre clinical trial investigating ''Plan of the Day" (PoD) adaptive radiotherapy for bladder cancer. To ensure correct PoD selection a pre-accrual guidance and assessment module was developed as part of an image guided radiotherapy quality assurance (IGRT QA) credentialing programme. This study aimed to evaluate its feasibility and effectiveness across multiple recruiting centres. Materials and methods: Individuals from participating centres remotely accessed an image database in order to complete the PoD module. An assessment score of 83% was required in order to receive QA approval. A questionnaire was used to gather user feedback on the module. PoD decisions for the first patient at each recruiting centre were retrospectively reviewed for protocol adherence. Results: 71 radiation therapists (RTTs) from 10 centres completed the PoD module. The median assessment score was 92% (Range: 58-100%) with 79% of RTTs passing the assessment on first attempt. All questionnaire respondents reported that the PoD module prepared them for plan selection. In 51/60 of on-trial treatments reviewed, the PoD selected by the centre agreed with QA reviewers. Conclusions: The PoD QA module was successfully implemented in a multicentre trial and enabled preaccrual assessment of protocol understanding. This increased operator confidence and resulted in appropriate PoD selection on-trial. Crown
BackgroundThe mandatory clinical radiotherapy department visit undertaken by potential applicants aims to provide understanding of the profession and therefore reduce attrition. Increasing pressure on clinical departments makes visits a logistical challenge. This additional step may also present as an unnecessary barrier to applicants. With no evidence relating to visits, this study aimed to explore the perceptions of both students and clinical educators concerning potential benefits and challenges.MethodA focus group interview method was used to gather in-depth qualitative data concerning the clinical department visit experiences from first-year undergraduate students and clinical educators.ResultsThree themes emerged from the student focus groups: the perceived purpose of the clinical visit, the visit content and the outcomes and impact arising from the visit. Clinical educator data also followed these themes in addition to ‘logistical impact’ theme.ConclusionThe clinical visit has value to applicants in affirming their decision to study radiotherapy. There is variation in expectation and content for these visits and they are logistically challenging. Nationally agreed guidelines for visit structure and content could improve visit efficiency and effectiveness. A national clinical visit form may reduce workload for educators and applicants.
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