Increasing the use of prospective risk assessment through training

Whilst a formal prospective risk assessment is an important part of risk management in the implementation of new techniques and technologies, a lack of time and practical knowledge can prevent its use. Here we present an innovative training program aiming to increase the knowledge and practical skills of radiation oncology professionals in using prospective risk assessment.

The training program explained the need for prospective risk assessment and provided practical experience in the use of an easy-to-use prospective risk assessment and project management tool. Participants were surveyed before the training and 12-months post-training to determine current risk assessment processes and whether the training affected participants views and behaviours in this area.

A time-efficient training program in prospective risk assessment was created and successful delivered to multi-disciplinary groups from 12 radiation therapy providers. In the 12-months post-training, the number of centres completing prospective risk assessments increased from 8% to 30%. The training removed many of the perceived barriers, with insufficient time remaining the largest barrier.

The training was found to be useful and applicable by all respondents. Future work needs to focus on how to expand the reach of the training program while maintaining its success, and how to ensure prospective risk assessments are seen as an essential part of implementation of new techniques and technologies in radiation therapy centres.