Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33564723›Full record

ArticleTechnical innovations & patient support in radiation oncology2021

Future-proof Radiation therapist (RTT) practice in a pandemic - Lessons learnt from COVID-19.

Maeve Kearney, Mary Coffey, Maddalena Rossi, Yat Tsang, ESTRO ROSQC, RTTC

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Technical innovations & patient support in radiation oncology, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
0.4field-weighted citation impact, top 36% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 6 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Review
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 3 institutions in 3 countries.

Maeve KearneyApplied Radiation Therapy Trinity, Discipline of Radiation Therapy, School of Medicine, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland.
Mary CoffeyApplied Radiation Therapy Trinity, Discipline of Radiation Therapy, School of Medicine, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland.
Maddalena RossiDepartment of Radiation Oncology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Yat TsangRadiotherapy Department, Mount Vernon Cancer Centre, Northwood, Middlesex, United Kingdom.
ESTRO ROSQC, RTTC
Trinity College Dublin · IEMount Vernon Cancer Centre · GBThe Netherlands Cancer Institute · NL

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

background and purposeThe European SocieTy for Radiotherapy and Oncology Radiation Therapist Committee (ESTRO RTTC) published a guidance document and infographic providing recommendations to minimise risk of COVID-19 transmission in radiotherapy (RT) departments. The purpose of this study was to investigate the changes embedded in RT practice in the COVID-19 era and to recommend proactive measures to protect RT practice in future pandemics. MATERIALS AND

methodsThe study was initiated by the ESTRO Radiation Oncology Safety and Quality Committee (ROSQC). A survey consisting of multiple choice, open ended and Likert scale questions was created to analyse the extent of changes embedded in RT practice in response to the COVID-19 pandemic under the four domains: patient care, RTT workflow, remote working and RT practice. This online survey was distributed globally in May 2020.

results229 respondents across 27 countries completed the survey. 60% of respondents reported continuing/commencing RT in COVID-19 patients. Routine testing of patients and RTTs was not common. Split teams' procedures, hot linacs and separate entrances were implemented by 50% of respondents. Remote working was implemented for RT team members where face to face patient contact was not essential. Lack of staff, connectivity issues and lack of confirmed positive cases in the department were the main reasons cited for not implementing recommended measures.

conclusionIt is suggested that RT departments have responded to the COVID-19 pandemic and implemented certain changes in RT practice. RT departments should act now to implement recommended proactive measures to protect patients and RTTs - frontline healthcare workers.

Indexed as

COVID-19RadiotherapyRTT

Identifiers

PMID33564723
PMCPMC7862908
OpenAlexW3126541902

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.