Department of Radiation Oncology, Regional Cancer Centre, Jawaharlal Institute of Post-Graduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER), Puducherry, India.
Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, D Nagar JIPMER, India.
Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2021 Dec 1;22(12):3875-3882. doi: 10.31557/APJCP.2021.22.12.3875.
The complexity of modern-day radiotherapy techniques calls for greater accuracy in target volume delineation which requires intensive training and expert guidance. In this study, we intend to evaluate the status of training in target delineation across radiation oncology curriculums in India and utility of webinars in teaching it.
We organized daily webinars on the topics of radiological anatomy and target volume delineation in common sites of cancer over a period of 2 weeks. At the end of the program, a 35 item survey questionnaire was shared with the participants. The responses were analysed and are reported here.
Out of the 797 participants that registered for the course, 356 radiation oncologists responded to the survey questionnaire. Majority (96%) of our respondents believe that there is a need for additional training in target volume delineation. Ninety percent of the participants felt that radiation oncology curriculum requires a formal radiology training but only 6.7% reported that their training consisted of a dedicated rotation and regular lectures in radiological anatomy. Majority (97%) responded that they were likely to incorporate the points learnt from the webinar sessions in their daily practice. Forty eight percent of respondents opted for attending a webinar to an in-person event in the future while 34% would like to have the option to choose between the two. Ninety four percent agreed that online webinars should be conducted routinely even after the pandemic ends.
Our survey results suggest that target volume delineation training in India is deficient and virtual teaching programs can be a practical and effective way to improve it.
现代放射治疗技术的复杂性要求在靶区勾画方面有更高的准确性，这需要强化培训和专家指导。本研究旨在评估印度放射肿瘤学课程中靶区勾画培训的现状以及网络研讨会在教学中的应用。
我们在两周的时间内组织了关于放射影像学解剖和常见癌症部位靶区勾画的每日网络研讨会。在项目结束时，向参与者分享了一份 35 个问题的调查问卷。对回复进行了分析并在此报告。
在注册参加课程的 797 名参与者中，有 356 名放射肿瘤学家对调查问卷做出了回应。我们的大多数受访者（96%）认为需要额外的靶区勾画培训。90%的参与者认为放射肿瘤学课程需要正规的放射学培训，但只有 6.7%的人报告说他们的培训包括专门的轮转和定期的放射影像学解剖讲座。大多数（97%）的受访者表示，他们很可能会将从网络研讨会中获得的要点纳入日常实践。48%的受访者选择在未来参加网络研讨会而非现场活动，而 34%的受访者希望有选择两者的机会。94%的人同意，即使在大流行结束后，也应定期进行在线网络研讨会。
我们的调查结果表明，印度的靶区勾画培训不足，虚拟教学计划可能是一种实用且有效的改进方法。
