ESTRO 2024 Congress Report

In the “Advanced roles development for RTTs” session at ESTRO, featuring presentations from esteemed professionals across the globe, the significant findings not only shed light on various aspects of RT practice but also hint at potential advancements in patient care and departmental workflows. These findings are crucial for our collective understanding and progress in the field of radiotherapy.

Debra Lee's study delved into the realm of emotional intelligence and empathy among healthcare students. Surprisingly, the findings revealed that healthcare students exhibited low to moderate levels of empathy, and there was no significant increase in emotional intelligence levels between their first and final years of study. This prompts a critical reflection on the efficacy of current educational approaches in nurturing empathetic healthcare professionals.

Wilkinson and Caldwell's research highlighted the pivotal role of Clinical Trial Radiographers (CTRs) in trial setup and recruitment. Their study found a correlation between an increase in the number of CTRs and the opening of trials and patient recruitment. This underscores the indispensable contribution of CTRs in facilitating the advancement of clinical trials and, ultimately, the development of innovative treatments.

Meegan Shepherd's investigation focused on RTTs contouring accuracy and confidence in pelvic online adaptive radiotherapy (oART) following a short webinar-based training. The results were promising, demonstrating that RTTs exhibited high accuracy after undergoing the specified training. This underscores the potential for accessible and effective training programmes to enhance RTTs' proficiency in critical aspects of their practice.

Susannah Jansen van Rensburg's study examined the ability of specialised RTTs to accurately localise bone metastasis for VMAT RT planning, to reduce VMAT pathway times… In this short-sampled demonstration, Susannah showcased remarkable proficiency, where most cases did not require adjustments. This led to significant reductions in the time needed by Radiation Oncologists to review the contours and a faster planning process. Such findings underscore the value of specialised training and highlight the potential for optimising patient care through skilful delegation.

Robert Beckert's research focused on the impact of an Advanced Practice Radiation Therapist (APRT) on contouring time and overall duration of online adaptive radiotherapy (oART) procedures in the United States. Adaptive volumes are steadily increasing, increasing workload and time burden for ROs. By task-shifting oART contouring from RO to APRT, Beckert demonstrated notable reductions in contouring times, RO time on the linac, and the total duration of oART procedures. He also emphasised the importance of not replacing but assisting the RO, allowing both to work at the top of their licensure. This innovation optimises workflow efficiency and promises to reduce time burdens on ROs while enhancing patient experiences through streamlined treatment processes.

Karen Crowther's study provided insights into the prescribing practices of RTTs across the UK, revealing notable trends and disparities. Most respondents were experienced consultant radiographers, with a significant proportion holding prescribing education at the master's level. The findings highlighted the diverse range of medications prescribed by RTTs, emphasising the need for standardised practices and ongoing professional development to ensure safe and effective patient care.

These diverse studies collectively underscore the transformative potential of advanced practice in RT. From enhancing empathy among future healthcare professionals to streamlining procedures and optimising patient care, the findings presented in this session herald a promising future for RT practice worldwide. As this new paradigm in RTTs’ career gains traction across various countries, there is a palpable sense of anticipation for its expanded implementation and its enduring impact on patient outcomes and healthcare delivery. This is a beacon of hope for the future of radiotherapy.

J. Guilherme Couto

Radiotherapy Lecturer

University of Malta

Malta

jose.g.couto@um.edu.mt