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Current status of the educational environment to acquire and maintain the professional skills of radiotherapy technology and medical physics specialists in Japan: a nationwide survey

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Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the educational environment of radiotherapy technology and medical physics specialists (RTMP) in Japan. We conducted a nationwide questionnaire survey in radiotherapy institutions between June and August 2022. Participants were asked questions regarding the educational system, perspectives on updating RTMP’s skills and qualifications, and perspectives on higher education for RTMP at radiotherapy institutions. The results were then analyzed in detail according to three factors: whether the hospital was designed for cancer care, whether it was a Japanese Society for Radiation Oncology (JASTRO)-accredited hospital, and whether it was an intensity-modulated radiation therapy charged hospital. Responses were obtained from 579 (69%) nationwide radiation therapy institutions. For non-qualified RTMP, 10% of the institutions had their own educational systems, only 17% of institutions provided on-the-job training, and 84% of institutions encouraged participation in educational lectures and workshops in academic societies. However, for qualified RTMP, 3.0% of institutions had their own educational systems, only 8.9% of the institutions provided on-the-job training, and 83% encouraged participation in academic conferences and workshops. Less than 1% of the facilities offered salary increases for certification, whereas 8.2% offered consideration for occupational promotion. Regarding the educational environment, JASTRO-accredited hospitals were better than general hospitals. Few institutions have their own educational systems for qualified and non-qualified RTMP, but they encourage them to attend educational seminars and conferences. It is desirable to provide systematic education and training by academic and professional organizations to maintain the skills of individuals.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to express our deepest gratitude to all radiotherapy institutions in Japan that cooperated with us in this survey.

Funding

This work was supported by a grant from the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare [MHLW grant number 21EA1010].

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Medical Physics, School of Medical Sciences, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Japan

    Naoki Hayashi

  2. Department of Radiological Sciences, Faculty of Health Science, Morinomiya University of Medical Science, Osaka, Japan

    Masahiko Okumura

  3. Department of Advanced Medical Physics, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan

    Mitsuhiro Nakamura

  4. Department of Radiation Oncology, Division of Medical Physics, Japanese Red Cross Wakayama Medical Center, Wakayama, Japan

    Yoshitomo Ishihara

  5. Department of Medical Technology, University Hospital, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan

    Seiichi Ota

  6. Division of Medical Physics, Tokyo Bay Makuhari Clinic for Advanced Imaging, Cancer Screening, and High-Precision Radiotherapy, Chiba, Japan

    Naoki Tohyama

  7. Department of Radiological Technology, Faculty of Medical Science , Kyoto College of Medical Science, Nantan, Japan

    Kohei Shimomura

  8. Radiation Safety and Quality Assurance Division, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan

    Hiroyuki Okamoto

  9. Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Yamanashi, Kofu, Japan

    Hiroshi Onishi

Authors
  1. Naoki Hayashi
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  2. Masahiko Okumura
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  3. Mitsuhiro Nakamura
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  4. Yoshitomo Ishihara
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  5. Seiichi Ota
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  6. Naoki Tohyama
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  7. Kohei Shimomura
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  8. Hiroyuki Okamoto
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  9. Hiroshi Onishi
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Contributions

NH summarized the data and created the manuscript. MO, MN, and YI summarized the data. NT, KS, and HO created the questionnaire items and analyzed the data. HO supervised the study. All authors discussed the results of this survey.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Naoki Hayashi.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Ethical approval

This study was approved by the Institutional Ethical Review Board of the National Cancer Center Hospital (2021–476) for collecting data through a national questionnaire.

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Hayashi, N., Okumura, M., Nakamura, M. et al. Current status of the educational environment to acquire and maintain the professional skills of radiotherapy technology and medical physics specialists in Japan: a nationwide survey. Radiol Phys Technol 16, 431–442 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12194-023-00739-w

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12194-023-00739-w

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