Novel Pilot Curriculum for International Education of Lymphoma Management Using E-Contouring

Abstract

PurposeThe International Lymphoma Radiation Oncology Group (ILROG) published consensus guidelines on the management of Hodgkin disease (HD) and nodal non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), which became the most downloaded articles from International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, and Physics. E-contouring workshops allow for interactive didactic sessions, allowing participants to see case-based contouring in real time. A pilot 1-hour curriculum was developed with the objective of reviewing ILROG guidelines for HD and NHL management with incorporation of e-contouring tools. This represents the first international education intervention in Spanish using e-contouring with a pre- and postintervention questionnaire.MethodsA 1-hour presentation was prepared in Spanish reviewing the ILROG recommendations for HD and NHL. The review was followed by the author’s demonstration of contour creation using patients with HD and NHL prepared for the American Society for Radiation Oncology’s 2015 e-contouring lymphoma session. A five- question evaluation was prepared and administered before and after intervention. A two-tailed paired t test was performed to evaluate any significant change in test value before and after intervention.ResultsA total of nine quizzes were collected before and after the intervention. The average test score before the intervention was 75.6%, and the average test score after the intervention was 86.7% (P = .051). Four students scored 100% on both the pre- and postintervention evaluations, and no student had a decrease in score from pre- to postintervention evaluation. The topic with the lowest score tested dose consideration.ConclusionA substantial but nonsignificant improvement in test evaluation was seen with this pilot curriculum. This pilot intervention identified obstacles for truly interactive didactic sessions that, when addressed, can lead to fully developed interactive didactic sessions.

Opportunities in Telemedicine, Lessons Learned After COVID-19 and the Way Into the Future

“…Some of the radiation therapy processes that can be supported by telemedicine include patient assessments, decision to treat and prescription, 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 and immobilization and image acquisition. 27 In addition, volume delineation, 28 treatment planning, 29 , 30 , 31 setup, verification, treatment delivery, 27 and follow-up 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 can be supported. Furthermore, telemedicine applications can also be used for education and training of health care professionals 37 and in support of research and enhancing access to clinical trials.…”

Cross-Sectional International Survey to Determine the Educational Interests of Spanish-Speaking Latin American Radiation Oncologists

“…Although a recent systematic review evaluated the methodologies and results of such e-contouring workshops, 4 no experiences from Latin America or Africa were included, reflecting existing disparities in education and clinical outcomes. We have reported our experiences with lymphoma education in Argentina and e-contouring in Peru, but our findings have been challenged by the low completion rates of our postsession assessments, 5 , 6 which precludes proper evaluation of educational success.…”

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Radiation Therapy Practice: A Catalyst for Research

“… 26 , 27 Although the technology required to facilitate telemedicine has been available for years, the COVID-19 pandemic provided the impetus to adopt these technologies and integrate them into the radiation oncology patient pathway. Several processes can be supported by telemedicine including patient assessments, decision to treat and prescription 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 and immobilisation and image acquisition, 33 volume delineation, 34 treatment planning, 35 , 36 , 37 setup, verification, treatment delivery 33 and follow-up. Virtual consultations with members of the radiation oncology team can be delivered prior to commencement of treatment, during treatment or and/or following treatment cessation.…”