Survey on brachytherapy training among radiation oncology residents in the German-speaking regions of Europe

Abstract

Purpose This survey aimed to determine the perception of brachytherapy training among residents in the DACH region, consisting of Austria, Germany and Switzerland. Material & Methods An online questionnaire containing 22 questions related to trainee demographics (n = 5) and to brachytherapy training (n = 17) was sent in two iterations in 11/2019 and 02/2020. The following topics were evaluated: institutional support, barriers to training, extent of training, site-specific training (prostate, gynaecology, breast, gastrointestinal and skin), preferences for further training and outlook on overall development of brachytherapy. The responses were mostly based on a Likert scale of 1 to 5, thereby reflecting strength of opinion. Descriptive statistics were used to describe frequencies. Results Among the 108 respondents, approximately 69% of residents considered the ability to perform brachytherapy independently to be important or somewhat important. However, only 31% of respondents reported to have a dedicated brachytherapy training during residency. The major limitation to achieve independence in performing brachytherapy was seen in a low case load in Austria, in the lack of training in Switzerland and in both of them in Germany. Conclusion The interest in brachytherapy training among residents in German-speaking countries was generally high, but there is a perceived lack of sufficient case volumes and partially also in formal training opportunities. Fellowships at departments with a high case load as part of a formalised curriculum and dedicated hands-on workshops at national or international conferences might help to overcome these issues.

Cost–benefit ratio of modern medical education using micro-costing: a model calculation using the example of an innovative breast brachytherapy workshop

“…New teaching concepts could arouse interest in future residents [ 16 ]. Dedicated hands-on workshops can help to address the significant interest in brachytherapy among residents and the perceived lack of training opportunities [ 17 ]. However, it is important to acknowledge that intensive teaching incurs costs [ 18 ].…”