Competencies of therapeutic radiographers working in the linear accelerator across Europe: A systematic search of the literature and thematic analysis

Abstract

a b s t r a c tIntroduction: The literature identifies various competences required for therapy radiographers (TR), however, these are varied and scattered among different publications. The aim of this study was to identify the competences required by therapy radiographers practising on the linear accelerator in the European setting, according to published literature. Methods: A systematic approach was performed to find relevant literature. The literature was then scrutinised for competences practised by linac TRs. Thematic analysis was performed to organise the competences according to themes. Results: A list of 170 competences were generated based on the assessment of 28 publications. The competences were organised in themes, including "delivery of treatment", "verification of patient setup", "patient care" and "teamwork and multidisciplinarity". The competences of the therapeutic radiographers encompass multiple themes, evidence of the complexity of the role of these professionals. Conclusion: Radiographers across Europe must be trained to the highest standards to ensure the best care possible is given to patients, irrespective of the country the radiographer trained in. This will also promote for free movement of professionals across countries. The competences identified can be used as reference for the design of academic curriculum for TRs practising across Europe.

Radiographer-led online image guided adaptive radiotherapy: A qualitative investigation of the therapeutic radiographer role

“…New aspects in MRIgRT require planning experience, particularly for UK radiographers where dosimetry experience is lacking, as other professions dominate the field or require specialist radiographers. 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 Yet, in countries where radiographers have dosimetry experience, additional image recognition and contouring was required. Little documentation exists surrounding MRI education to specialist groups and post-graduation education has been suggested previously 37 , 38 as opposed to current on-the-job learning and teaching.…”

Evaluation of radiotherapy education across the EU and the impact on graduates' competencies working on the linear accelerator

“…Even though this disparity is more evident in non-technical competencies (such as Management and leadership), it was also observed in technical competencies (such as Equipment quality assurance and Image verification of patient setup). These results showed that some competencies identified in the literature as being the responsibility of the TRs 18 are not fully developed across the EU. As such, these disparities have the potential to become an issue when movement occurs, and further research should be performed.…”

“…In the second part, the respondents were asked to score how competent graduates are at the end of the programme. They were invited to rate 63 competencies related to the linac, organised under 14 competency dimensions 18 ( Table 1). The selection of the competencies was based on an analysis of the literature, results from previous research performed by this research team 18 and feedback from expert partners within the SAFE EUROPE project.…”

“…Multiple international reference documents 14e17 are used in the design of education programmes to train RT professionals, however, the implementation of these guidelines and their impact on the competency level of the graduates has never been published. Another study 18 performed a thematic analysis of relevant literature to create a list of the TR competencies applicable to the linac, yet, the study did not specify at what level graduates across the EU develop these competencies. In the current study, the term "graduate" refers to a person who successfully completes a course programme, irrespective of the academic level.…”

Competency level in radiotherapy across EU educational programmes: A cross-case study evaluating stakeholders’ perceptions

“…The most prominent role of these professionals is the delivery of ionising radiation to treat patients 11 ; however, to perform this role, TRs must develop competencies in multiple areas, including immobilisation of the patient, imaging, decision-making, education, communication, and research, among many others. 12 There are also differences in the nomenclature due to a lack of harmonisation of the professional title, a range of national titles such as Therapeutic Radiographer (TR), Radiation Therapist (RTT), Radiotherapist, Radiation Therapy Technologist may also be found in the literature 9,13e15 and mentioned by the study participants in this study.…”