OC-0318 A novel eLearning tool for ongoing radiation therapist education on pelvic radiotherapy late effects

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Purpose or Objective The late effects (LEs) of pelvic radiotherapy (RT) have a significant detrimental impact on a patient's quality of life;as such, within the UK there is a national drive to improve aftercare, with enhanced provision of patient information through the National Health Service (NHS) and various charities. A requirement to improve Radiation Therapists' knowledge, awareness and confidence surrounding pelvic LEs has been observed, highlighting a demand for further training. Traditional pedagogical methods pose barriers within busy clinical settings, thus eLearning methods may prove more feasible. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of a novel, interactive eLearning tool as an innovative pedagogical approach to increase Radiation Therapists' knowledge and confidence on the LEs of pelvic RT, and to improve their perception of their professional responsibilities to provide such patient information. Materials and Methods The study was conducted within a single UK RT institution over a 12-month period with a recruitment of 27 Radiation Therapists. Our novel eLearning tool was designed, implemented and disseminated to participants via the hospital's Blended Learning portal, providing flexible, asynchronous access. Pre- and post-intervention Likert-scale questionnaires and focus groups were utilised to provide baseline assessment and ascertain changes in levels of knowledge, confidence and perceived responsibility surrounding pelvic RT LEs. Statistical analysis using a Wilcoxon signed-rank test was conducted on paired data from pre- and post-intervention questionnaires (n=23) to provide quantitative results, whilst thematic analysis provided qualitative results. Results Whilst this was a mixed-methods study, the quantitative results are presented here. Statistically significant increases in knowledge (p=0.002), confidence (p=0.006) and responsibility (p=0.026) surrounding pelvic RT LEs were reported following the eLearning intervention compared to baseline scores, rejecting the null hypothesis. Examples of the results are shown in figures 1 and 2. $Φg Conclusion We believe this study is the first of its kind, investigating eLearning to improve pelvic RT LE knowledge, confidence and responsibility amongst UK Radiation Therapists. Our novel, robust eLearning tool proved successful in achieving these aims, and the eLearning tool has now been disseminated across all NHS hospitals within the regional ‘Cancer Alliance' and is also being used at a novel pelvic RT LEs clinic. This has led to increased knowledge of pelvic RT LEs across the wider oncology team, including consultants, nurses and other professionals. Project recommendations have led to introduction of a new Masters module on LEs at a UK University, further enhancing the knowledge of the Radiation Therapist workforce. With the severe, ongoing impact of COVID-19 on healthcare departments, such innovative online tools are crucial to ensure staff have remote, asynchronous access to learning content.