Professional practice changes in radiotherapy physics during the COVID-19 pandemic

Area of Science:

• Radiotherapy Physics
• Medical Radiation Oncology
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated significant operational adjustments in global radiotherapy (RT) departments.
• Medical physicists (MPs) play a crucial role in ensuring the safety and efficacy of radiation therapy.
• This study examines the experiences of MPs during the initial phase of the pandemic.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report on the experiences of medical physicists during the first peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• To explore the consequences of the pandemic on the daily work of medical physicists.
• To identify changes in radiotherapy practices and their future implications.

Main Methods:

• A global survey with 39 questions was distributed to medical physicists.
• The survey focused on departmental and clinical practice changes and future impacts.
• Data from 433 respondents were analyzed based on professional role and country infection rates.

Main Results:

• The pandemic's impact was more pronounced in countries with higher infection rates.
• Most MPs adopted a hybrid work model (home/on-site).
• Key practice changes included increased hypofractionation (47%), modified patient-specific QA (16%), reduced machine QA (21%), and shifted QA schedules (25%).
• Trust in leadership and team unity varied between management and clinical MPs.
• While some changes like home-working and hypofractionation were well-received, concerns arose regarding the permanence of certain changes, such as altered work schedules.

Conclusions:

• COVID-19 induced significant changes in medical physics practice, including quality assurance procedures.
• The pandemic affected perceptions of leadership trust and team unity among MPs.
• Some adopted changes were viewed positively, while others raised concerns about future work environments.
• This study provides a medical physics perspective for evaluating lasting changes in multidisciplinary radiotherapy settings.