It's the Team, Not the Beam

Successful implementation of online educational lectures of the German Society for Radiation Oncology (DEGRO)

PURPOSE

Modern digital teaching formats have become increasingly important in recent years, in part due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In January 2021, an online-based webinar series was established by the German Society for Radiation Oncology (DEGRO) and the young DEGRO (yDEGRO) working group. In the monthly 120-minute courses, selected lecturers teach curricular content as preparation for the board certification exam for radiation oncology.

METHODS

The evaluation of the 24 courses between 01.2021 and 12.2022 was performed using a standardized questionnaire with 21 items (recording epidemiological characteristics of the participants, didactic quality, content quality). A Likert scale (1-4) was used in combination with binary and open-ended questions.

RESULTS

A combined total of 4200 individuals (1952 in 2021 and 2248 in 2022) registered for the courses, and out of those, 934 participants (455 in 2021 and 479 in 2022) later provided evaluations for the respective courses (36% residents, 35% specialists, 21% medical technicians for radiology [MTR], 8% medical physics experts [MPE]). After 2 years, 74% of the DEGRO Academy curriculum topics were covered by the monthly webinars. The overall rating by participants was positive (mean 2021: 1.33 and 2022: 1.25) and exceeded the curriculum offered at each site for 70% of participants. Case-based learning was identified as a particularly well-rated method.

CONCLUSION

The DEGRO webinar expands the digital teaching opportunities in radiation oncology. The consistently high number of participants confirms the need for high-quality teaching and underlines the advantages of e‑learning methods. Optimization opportunities were identified through reevaluation of feedback from course participants. In its design as a teaching format for a multiprofessional audience, the webinar series could be used as a practice model of online teaching for other disciplines.

X-change symposium: status and future of modern radiation oncology-from technology to biology

Future radiation oncology encompasses a broad spectrum of topics ranging from modern clinical trial design to treatment and imaging technology and biology. In more detail, the application of hybrid MRI devices in modern image-guided radiotherapy; the emerging field of radiomics; the role of molecular imaging using positron emission tomography and its integration into clinical routine; radiation biology with its future perspectives, the role of molecular signatures in prognostic modelling; as well as special treatment modalities such as brachytherapy or proton beam therapy are areas of rapid development. More clinically, radiation oncology will certainly find an important role in the management of oligometastasis. The treatment spectrum will also be widened by the rational integration of modern systemic targeted or immune therapies into multimodal treatment strategies. All these developments will require a concise rethinking of clinical trial design. This article reviews the current status and the potential developments in the field of radiation oncology as discussed by a panel of European and international experts sharing their vision during the "X-Change" symposium, held in July 2019 in Munich (Germany).

COVID-19 and information and communication technology in radiation oncology: A new paradigm

Due to coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, there has been a major reallocation of resources that has impacted the treatment of many diseases, including cancer. The growing use of information and communication technologies (ICT), together with a new approach to work aimed at ensuring the safety of health care professionals and patients alike, has allowed us to maintain the quality of care while ensuring biosecurity. The application of ICT to health care (eHealth) aims to significantly improve the quality, access to, and effectiveness of medical care. In fact, the expanded use of ICT has been recognized as a key, cost-effective priority for health care by the World Health Organisation. The medical speciality of radiation oncology is closely linked to technology and as a consequence of coronavirus disease 2019, ICT has been widely employed by radiation oncologists worldwide, providing new opportunities for interaction among professionals, including telemedicine and e-learning, while also minimizing treatment interruptions. Future research should concentrate on this emerging paradigm, which offers new opportunities, including faster and more diverse exchange of scientific knowledge, organizational improvements, and more efficient workflows. Moreover, these efficiencies will allow professionals to dedicate more time to patient care, with a better work-life balance. In the present editorial, we discuss the opportunities provided by these digital tools, as well as barriers to their implementation, and a vision of the future.