Cultural safety in radiation therapy education: Identifying knowledge deficits to improve Indigenous health practice.

Reducing health disparities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples requires the integration of cultural safety into healthcare education. This commentary paper addresses cultural safety in the context of the radiation therapy profession and emphasises the importance of making practitioners aware of the knowledge gaps in healthcare practice. The educational strategies to improve cultural awareness amongst undergraduate students and qualified radiation therapists (RTs) are explored.

Identifying methods to best integrate indigenous knowledge and perspectives within the radiation therapy undergraduate curriculum.

The Australian healthcare system continues to work towards close the gap to improve and achieve equality in health and life expectancy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. When culturally safe practice is forefront, it may be the driving force in improving Indigenous Australian healthcare outcomes. For students and practitioners to be equipped with the industry-required cultural safety skills, we believe Indigenous Australian knowledge and perspectives must be effectively integrated into undergraduate education.

Leadership in the radiation therapy profession: The importance of understanding the potential benefits and theoretical perspectives.

The incorporation of leadership concepts is at the forefront of agendas to advance the quality of patient care and innovation in many healthcare professions. In this Commentary, the authors draw upon evidence from the literature to discuss the theoretical perspectives of leadership and potential value in radiation therapy practice. For the patients to be provided with safe and high-quality treatment, continuous change and improvement are necessary.

The implementation of MOSAIQ-based image-guided radiation therapy image matching within radiation therapy education.

Image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) technologies are routinely used by radiation therapists (RTs) in clinical departments. However, there is limited literature on the acquisition and assessment of IGRT image-matching competencies in undergraduate educational environments. This commentary paper aims to share the authors' experiences in the development of teaching IGRT and image-matching concepts in an undergraduate radiation therapy programme.

The Application of the Virtual Environment for Radiotherapy Training to Strengthen IGRT Education.

The use of simulation to enhance the quality of preclinical teaching and learning in radiation therapy is increasing. This article discusses the use of the Virtual Environment for Radiotherapy Training (VERT) in supporting teaching on image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) and image matching concepts. The authors review the capabilities of VERT and discuss how it is currently applied in undergraduate radiation therapy teaching.

The Impact of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Radiation Therapy: Considerations for Future Curriculum Enhancement.

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) approaches have caught the attention of many in health care. Current literature suggests there are many potential benefits that could transform future clinical workflows and decision making. Embedding AI and ML concepts in radiation therapy education could be a fundamental step in equipping radiation therapists (RTs) to engage in competent and safe practice as they utilise clinical technologies.

Utilising the Virtual Environment for Radiotherapy Training System to Support Undergraduate Teaching of IMRT, VMAT, DCAT Treatment Planning, and QA Concepts.

The use of three-dimensional virtual reality technologies in education has been widely reported in the literature. The goal of this article is to review how the virtual environment for radiotherapy training (VERT) can be utilised to support the teaching of intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), volumetric-modulated arc therapy, and dynamic conformal arc therapy techniques. Utilising Pinnacle v14 (Philips Radiation Oncology Systems, Madison, WI) and Monaco v 5.

Radiation Therapy Students as Partners in the Development of Alternative Approaches to Assessing Treatment Planning Skills.

Aim: The involvement of undergraduate students in assessment design is not a new concept. However, there is a paucity of evidence on radiation therapy students' participation in the design of teaching and learning activities. This article reports the development and initial evaluation of alternative approaches to assessing treatment planning skills and knowledge in undergraduate radiation therapy education.

Exploring the Role and Application of the Deliberate Practice Concept in Radiation Therapy.

The concept of deliberate practice (DP) has been extensively applied to the development of skill and expert performance in many domains of professional practice. Although it has been widely reviewed in other health professions, there is a lack of evidence on its application in radiation therapy practice. This article aims to explore the concept of DP and how it can be applied to radiation therapy practice.