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Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Postgraduate Training in Radiation Oncology

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S): To report the degree to which post-graduate trainees in radiation oncology perceive their education has been impacted by COVID-19. MATERIALS/METHODS: A cross-sectional online survey was administered in June 2020 to trainee members of Canadian Association of Radiation Oncology (...

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Autores principales: Giuliani, M.E., Samoil, D., Agarwal, A., Croke, J.M., Giannopoulos, E., Golden, D.W., Hirsch, A.E., Jimenez, R.B., Malik, N., Papadakos, J., Quartey, N.K., Wu, C.H.D., Ingledew, P.A.
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: Published by Elsevier Inc. 2021
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8536251/
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrobp.2021.07.689
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author Giuliani, M.E.
Samoil, D.
Agarwal, A.
Croke, J.M.
Giannopoulos, E.
Golden, D.W.
Hirsch, A.E.
Jimenez, R.B.
Malik, N.
Papadakos, J.
Quartey, N.K.
Wu, C.H.D.
Ingledew, P.A.
author_facet Giuliani, M.E.
Samoil, D.
Agarwal, A.
Croke, J.M.
Giannopoulos, E.
Golden, D.W.
Hirsch, A.E.
Jimenez, R.B.
Malik, N.
Papadakos, J.
Quartey, N.K.
Wu, C.H.D.
Ingledew, P.A.
author_sort Giuliani, M.E.
collection PubMed
description PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S): To report the degree to which post-graduate trainees in radiation oncology perceive their education has been impacted by COVID-19. MATERIALS/METHODS: A cross-sectional online survey was administered in June 2020 to trainee members of Canadian Association of Radiation Oncology (CARO). The 82-item survey was adapted from a similar survey administered during SARS and included the Stanford Acute Stress Reaction and Ways of Coping Questionnaires. The survey was developed using best practices including expert review and cognitive pre-testing. Frequency statistics are reported. RESULTS: Thirty-four trainees (10 fellows, 24 residents) responded. Nearly half of participants indicated that the overall impact of COVID-19 on training was negative/very negative (n = 15; 46%) or neutral (n = 15; 46%) with a small number indicating a positive/very positive (n = 3; 9%). Majority of trainees agreed/strongly agreed with the following statements: “I had difficulty concentrating on tasks because of concerns about COVID-19” (n = 17; 52%), “I had fears about contracting COVID-19” (n = 17; 52%), “I had fears of family/loved ones contracting COVID-19” (n = 29; 88%), “I felt socially isolated from friends and family because of COVID-19” (n = 23; 70%), “I felt safe from COVID-19 in the hospital during my clinical duties“ (n = 15; 46%), and “I was concerned that my personal safety was at risk if/when I was redeployed from my planned clinical duties” (n = 20; 61%). The changes that had a negative/very negative impact on learning included “the impact of limited patient contact” (n = 19; 58%), “the impact of virtual patient contact” (n = 11; 33%), and “limitations to travel and networking” (n = 31; 91%). Most reported reduced teaching from staff (n = 22; 66%). Two-thirds of trainees (n = 22, 67%) reported severe (> 50%) reduction in ambulatory clinical activities, 16 (49%) reported a moderate (< 50%) reduction in new patient consultations, while virtual follow-ups (n = 25: 76%) and in-patient clinical care activities (n = 12; 36%) increased. Nearly half of respondents reported no impact on contouring (n = 16; 49%), on-treatment management (n = 17; 52%) and tumor boards (n = 14; 42%) with the majority of other respondents reporting a decrease in these activities. Electives were cancelled in province (n = 10/20; 50%), out-of-province (n = 16/20; 80%) and internationally (n = 15/18; 83%). CONCLUSION: Significant changes to radiation oncology training were wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic and roughly half of trainees perceive that these changes had a negative impact on their training. Safety concerns for self and family were significant and strategies to mitigate these concerns should be a priority.
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spelling pubmed-85362512021-10-25 Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Postgraduate Training in Radiation Oncology Giuliani, M.E. Samoil, D. Agarwal, A. Croke, J.M. Giannopoulos, E. Golden, D.W. Hirsch, A.E. Jimenez, R.B. Malik, N. Papadakos, J. Quartey, N.K. Wu, C.H.D. Ingledew, P.A. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2355 PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S): To report the degree to which post-graduate trainees in radiation oncology perceive their education has been impacted by COVID-19. MATERIALS/METHODS: A cross-sectional online survey was administered in June 2020 to trainee members of Canadian Association of Radiation Oncology (CARO). The 82-item survey was adapted from a similar survey administered during SARS and included the Stanford Acute Stress Reaction and Ways of Coping Questionnaires. The survey was developed using best practices including expert review and cognitive pre-testing. Frequency statistics are reported. RESULTS: Thirty-four trainees (10 fellows, 24 residents) responded. Nearly half of participants indicated that the overall impact of COVID-19 on training was negative/very negative (n = 15; 46%) or neutral (n = 15; 46%) with a small number indicating a positive/very positive (n = 3; 9%). Majority of trainees agreed/strongly agreed with the following statements: “I had difficulty concentrating on tasks because of concerns about COVID-19” (n = 17; 52%), “I had fears about contracting COVID-19” (n = 17; 52%), “I had fears of family/loved ones contracting COVID-19” (n = 29; 88%), “I felt socially isolated from friends and family because of COVID-19” (n = 23; 70%), “I felt safe from COVID-19 in the hospital during my clinical duties“ (n = 15; 46%), and “I was concerned that my personal safety was at risk if/when I was redeployed from my planned clinical duties” (n = 20; 61%). The changes that had a negative/very negative impact on learning included “the impact of limited patient contact” (n = 19; 58%), “the impact of virtual patient contact” (n = 11; 33%), and “limitations to travel and networking” (n = 31; 91%). Most reported reduced teaching from staff (n = 22; 66%). Two-thirds of trainees (n = 22, 67%) reported severe (> 50%) reduction in ambulatory clinical activities, 16 (49%) reported a moderate (< 50%) reduction in new patient consultations, while virtual follow-ups (n = 25: 76%) and in-patient clinical care activities (n = 12; 36%) increased. Nearly half of respondents reported no impact on contouring (n = 16; 49%), on-treatment management (n = 17; 52%) and tumor boards (n = 14; 42%) with the majority of other respondents reporting a decrease in these activities. Electives were cancelled in province (n = 10/20; 50%), out-of-province (n = 16/20; 80%) and internationally (n = 15/18; 83%). CONCLUSION: Significant changes to radiation oncology training were wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic and roughly half of trainees perceive that these changes had a negative impact on their training. Safety concerns for self and family were significant and strategies to mitigate these concerns should be a priority. Published by Elsevier Inc. 2021-11-01 2021-10-22 /pmc/articles/PMC8536251/ http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrobp.2021.07.689 Text en Copyright © 2021 Published by Elsevier Inc. Since January 2020 Elsevier has created a COVID-19 resource centre with free information in English and Mandarin on the novel coronavirus COVID-19. The COVID-19 resource centre is hosted on Elsevier Connect, the company's public news and information website. Elsevier hereby grants permission to make all its COVID-19-related research that is available on the COVID-19 resource centre - including this research content - immediately available in PubMed Central and other publicly funded repositories, such as the WHO COVID database with rights for unrestricted research re-use and analyses in any form or by any means with acknowledgement of the original source. These permissions are granted for free by Elsevier for as long as the COVID-19 resource centre remains active.
spellingShingle 2355
Giuliani, M.E.
Samoil, D.
Agarwal, A.
Croke, J.M.
Giannopoulos, E.
Golden, D.W.
Hirsch, A.E.
Jimenez, R.B.
Malik, N.
Papadakos, J.
Quartey, N.K.
Wu, C.H.D.
Ingledew, P.A.
Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Postgraduate Training in Radiation Oncology
title Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Postgraduate Training in Radiation Oncology
title_full Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Postgraduate Training in Radiation Oncology
title_fullStr Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Postgraduate Training in Radiation Oncology
title_full_unstemmed Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Postgraduate Training in Radiation Oncology
title_short Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Postgraduate Training in Radiation Oncology
title_sort impact of the covid-19 pandemic on postgraduate training in radiation oncology
topic 2355
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8536251/
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrobp.2021.07.689
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