Targeting Education as a Barrier to Implement Hypofractionation: Results of a Country-Wide Training Program

Autor: María Caicedo-Martínez, MD, Benjamin Li, MD, MBA, Alejandro González-Motta, MD, Caroline Carlson, BA, Hong Zhu, BS, Iván Bobadilla, MD, David Martínez, MD
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2023
Předmět:
Zdroj: Advances in Radiation Oncology, Vol 8, Iss 3, Pp 101165- (2023)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 2452-1094
DOI: 10.1016/j.adro.2022.101165
Popis: Introduction: Access to radiation therapy in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) could be improved with modern hypofractionated radiation therapy schedules, although their adoption remains limited. We aimed to evaluate perceptions regarding hypofractionation and the effect of a dedicated curriculum in an LMIC. Methods and Materials: We developed a pilot e-learning hypofractionation curriculum focused on breast, prostate, rectal cancer, and high-grade glioma in Colombia. International educators taught 13 weekly, 90-minute sessions. Participants completed pre- and postcurriculum questionnaires regarding hypofractionation attitudes, 1 to 5 Likert-scale self-confidence, and practices for 12 clinical scenarios. Physicians’ responses were categorically scored “1” (for hypofractionation or ultrahypofractionation) or “0” (for conventional fractionation). We used the paired t test to measure pre- versus postcurriculum differences in self-confidence and the McNemar test to detect differences in hypofractionation selection. Results: Across 19 cities in Colombia, 147 clinicians enrolled: 61 radiation oncologists, 6 radiation oncology residents, 59 medical physicists, 18 physics residents, and 3 other staff. Among physicians, education was the greatest barrier to select hypofractionation, common in ultrahypofractionation for prostate (77.6%) and breast cancer (74.6%) and less common for moderate hypofractionation of prostate (61.2%) and breast cancer (52.2%). Additional perceived barriers included unfamiliarity with clinic protocols (7%-22%), clinical experience (5%-15%), personal preference (3%-16%), and lack of technology (3%-20%), with variation across different clinical settings. After the curriculum, paired (n = 38) physicians’ selection of hypofractionation increased across all disease sites (mean aggregate score 6.2/12 vs 8.2/12, P
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