International Organization For Medical Physics Research Articles

Global status of medical physics human resource – The IOMP survey report

PurposeRealizing the need for periodic surveys about global medical physics human resource, the International Organization for Medical Physics (IOMP) performed a third survey following the previous two (2015 and 2018). The objective was to collect information about the current numbers of medical physicists (MPs) in individual countries, about their MP training, and accreditation pathways. MethodsThe survey was designed using Google Forms. Forms were distributed to national MP associations around the world. The data was collected during May-Nov 2022. MS Excel and SPSS software were used to perform descriptive statistics. Results64 valid responses were received covering all continents. The largest numbers of MPs are in high income countries of Europe, Australia and North America, while the lowest numbers of MPs are seen in middle and low-income countries of Asia, Latin America and Africa. Among the respondents, 73% reported MP shortages in their countries. 69% reported the existence of an official MP training program which comprises university courses and in-service training. Furthermore, 85% of the respondents indicated the availability of MP university courses, primarily at the Master’s degree level. Participation in research was between 10 and 30% of allocated work time for 42% and below 10% for 33% respondents. ConclusionsThere are new findings on number of MPs per million population in different countries, with some expressing adequacy in the total number of MPs, but the data breakdown indicates a shortage in diagnostic X-ray physicists. Future surveys should also investigate in more detail data on outsourcing, and involvement in research.

Radiation exposure from diagnostic CT for young patients with colon cancer in the first 5 years after diagnosis.

90 Background: Given the rise in colorectal cancer (CRC) in younger patients, this study aims to analyze the radiation exposure received by early onset colorectal cancer patients from diagnostic imaging performed in the first 5-years from diagnosis. Methods: A retrospective review of all patients (age ≤ 50 y) with stage I-III CRC who received at least 5 surveillance or staging body computed tomography (CT) scans in the 5 years from diagnosis was performed beginning in October 2015. The volume CT dose index (CTDIvol) and dose length product (DLP) were extracted; a previously validated Monte Carlo (MC) based software, VirtualDose (Virtual Phantoms, Inc., Albany, NY), was used to estimate organ dose to 19 organs based on the imaging mode parameters. The effective doses were calculated based on methods set forth in the International Commission on Radiological Protection ICRP No. 103 Publication. Results: A total of 107 patients were included (age range 25-50 years, median 44 years). The average effective dose per CT scan was 15.0 mSv range: 11.6 to 22.6 mSv) for male (n = 62) and 13.4 mSv (8.04 to 17.5 mSv) for female (n = 45) patients. The cumulative effective dose was greater than 100 mSv for 9 (8.4%) of patients and between 50 to < 100 mSv for 28 (26.2%) of the patients in this study. Of the 107 patients, 23% (n = 25) of the patients recurred during the first 5 years. Conclusions: The majority of early-onset colorectal cancer patients in this study received a cumulative dose under 100 mSv, which is considered low risk according to a policy statement by the International Organization for Medical Physics. Since the majority of patients in this study received what is considered a low cumulative radiation dose from repeated CT imaging during the 5-year period after diagnosis, this may provide reassurance that repeated CT imaging, particularly for surveillance, is warranted. Individual risk will vary but the clinical benefits of clinical imaging outweigh the small, if any, risk of radiation-induced cancers in this patient cohort. [Table: see text]

The International Organization for Medical Physics - a driving force for the global development of medical physics.

The International Organization for Medical Physics (IOMP) is the world’s largest professional organization in the field of medical physics and has official non-governmental organization status with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). IOMP is charged with a mission to advance medical physics practice worldwide by disseminating scientific and technical information, fostering the educational and professional development of medical physics and promoting the highest quality medical services for patients. IOMP’s activities are directed towards the promotion of medical physics globally, improving patient care, and contributing to the benefit of healthcare to the society. Major organizational activities include but are not limited to scientific events, international collaborations, dissemination of information, education, training, and research. For nearly 60 years of existence, IOMP turned into a key factor not only in the field of medical physics, but also healthcare, and other related disciplines. IOMP is looking forward to future perspectives in international collaboration and enhancement of the professional skills, all directed towards enhancing patient benefit.

In memoriam: John R. Mallard (1927-2021).

In memoriam: John R. Mallard (1927-2021).

Let's Get Real about Molecular Breast Imaging and Radiation Risk.

Let's Get Real about Molecular Breast Imaging and Radiation Risk.

Medical physics workforce: A global perspective

PurposeThe International Organization for Medical Physics (IOMP) performed a detailed study following the first survey published in 2015 with the particular objectives: 1) gather data on global medical physicists (MPs) workforce, 2) identify differences between geographical regions and, 3) investigate whether there is a gender dimension in higher hierarchy positions. MethodsAn online questionnaire was send to IOMP members and contact points in countries where no professional MPs society existed. Information requested: total number (N) of MPs (men and women), N of current elected executive board (EB) of societies and women proportion in the board, president gender and number of women presidents for the last 10 years. IOMP archives were also investigated for data on gender composition related to chairs of committees, officers and IOMP awardees. ResultsNinety three countries reported 29,179 MPs, from which 8702 were women (29.8%) and 20,477 men. The most dense MPs population was in Europe (34%), followed by North America (33%) and Asia/Oceania (24%). Societies EB women members constitute 21–40%, but rarely reach the presidential position. The IOMP archived data show that women MP representation decreases in higher hierarchy positions. ConclusionsGlobal MPs production does not meet clinical needs especially in Latin America/Caribbean and Africa (6% of total MPs workforce and small number of MPs/million of population). Rough estimations showed that approximately 58,950 MPs will be required by 2035. Women representation is away from the United Nations and European Commissions goals. Women representation in higher hierarchy position is low.

I172] IOMP project ‘history of medical physics’ – Objectives and first results

Purpose The International Organization for Medical Physics (IOMP) exists over 50 years. It collects information from all medical physics societies, thus collating a picture of the professional development. While during the mid-1960 there were c.6,000 medical physicists in the world, in 2017 these are c.26,000. However recently published report of Global Task Force on Radiotherapy for Cancer Control predicts that by 2035 the existing number of medical physicists has to triple. The lessons from the past 20 years show that to achieve such goal the profession has to invest in education and training activities, with emphasis on e-learning and international collaboration. In order to support this global effort, IOMP launched a new project “History of Medical Physics”, which will trace the professional development in various countries, showing specific models which could be useful for other countries. Methods This large international project will not only focus on the medical physics professional development. It will also show the development of the various branches in our profession. This way the project will create a Compendium of independent Volumes/Parts, which will reflect the main areas of development of medical physics. Results Three of the first chapters from two volumes have now been completed (c. 110 pages). The chapters are on the History of X-ray Tubes development (R Behling), the History of Film-Screen Receptors development (P Sprawls) and the History of e-Learning development (S Tabakov). These were published (as samples) in first Special Issue of the IOMP Journal Medical Physics International (April 2018) – www.mpijournal.org . The Journal also published a large material about the professional development in Middle-East (led by Niroomand-Rad and MEFOMP). Questionnaires have now been sent to all IOMP member societies, hoping the second stage to be completed by mid-2019. The presentation will focus on the current results and the future coordination of the project. Conclusions The project results will be a very useful source of information for future new developments in the profession and will provide a canvas for future updates. Very importantly, the project results will be a written proof of the significant role played by medical physicists in contemporary medicine.

P066] History of medical physics – A project tracing the development of the profession

Purpose The International Organization for Medical Physics (IOMP) exists over 50 years. It collects information from all medical physics societies, thus collating a picture of the professional global development. While during the mid-1960 there were c.6000 medical physicists in the world, in 2017 these are c.26,000. However there is a huge challenge in front of the profession. The recently published report of the Global Task Force on Radiotherapy for Cancer Control predicts that by 2035 the existing number of medical physicists has to triple in order to support the needs of the global healthcare provision. The lessons from the past 20 years show that to achieve such goal the profession has to firmly invest in education and training activities, with special emphasis on e-learning and international collaboration. In order to support this global effort of the profession, IOMP launched a new project “History of Medical Physics”, which will trace the professional development in various countries, showing specific models which could be useful for other countries. Methods This large international project will not only focus on the medical physics professional development. It will also show the development of the various branches in our profession. This way the project will create a Compendium of independent Volumes/Parts, which will reflect the main areas of development of medical physics, including: Diagnostic Radiology (X-ray) Imaging; Computed Tomography; Radiotherapy (External beam); Radiotherapy (Brachytherapy); Nuclear Medicine Imaging; Ultrasound Imaging; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Optical Systems and NIR in Medicine; Medical Informatics; Radiation Measurement and Protection in Medicine; Professional Development; EducationT EducationT Diagnostic Radiology (X-ray) Imaging. These will be presented at ECMP together with their outcomes, aiming to expand the project and invite more colleagues from EFOMP to take part in this unique international activity. Conclusions The project results will be a very useful source of information for future new developments and will provide a canvas for future updates. Very importantly, the project results will be a written proof of the significant role played by medical physicists in contemporary medicine.

Nuclear and radiological emergencies: Building capacity in medical physics to support response

Medical physicists represent a valuable asset at the disposal of a structured and planned response to nuclear or radiological emergencies (NREs), especially in the hospital environment. The recognition of this fact led the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the International Organization for Medical Physics (IOMP) to start a fruitful collaboration aiming to improve education and training of medical physicists so that they may support response efforts in case of NREs. Existing shortcomings in specific technical areas were identified through international consultations supported by the IAEA and led to the development of a project aiming at preparing a specific and standardized training package for medical physicists in support to NREs. The Project was funded through extra-budgetary contribution from Japan within the IAEA Nuclear Safety Action Plan. This paper presents the work accomplished through that project and describes the current steps and future direction for enabling medical physicists to better support response to NREs.

Raising awareness of medical physics: The view of international organization for medical physics (IOMP)

One of the main aims of the International Organization for Medical Physics (IOMP) is raising awareness of medical physics. IOMP has built throughout the years many links with other international organisations, as IAEA, IUPAP, WHO, ILO. The latter link (developed over years-long discussions) resulted in the inclusion of the occupation “medical physicist” in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO-08). As part of IUPESM we became members of the International Council of Scientific Unions (ICSU), what is another high professional visibility. At a local level IOMP has helped the establishment of tens medical physics societies and currently we have 82 National Member Societies with 22,000 members. To further increase the internal collaboration of these societies IOMP has created Regional Organisations (RO) on geographical basis, which have good internal understanding of regional requirements. During 2015 IOMP created Regional Coordination Board to further strengthen the links of IOMP with its RO (EFOMP, AFOMP, ALFIM, SEAFOMP, MEFOMP, FAMPO). Future plans to raise the awareness of medical physics with all means and at all levels, include: ∘ at local level through short seminars focussing on various new medical devices; links with Hospital management, etc; ∘ at national/regional level through links with the media to publicise similar subjects and our involvement in hospital/patient safety, etc; ∘ at international level through further collaboration with institutions related to medicine/sciences/education/safety, etc. Increasing the visibility of our profession is one of the objectives during the current IOMP office and we all have to make this a standing priority.

Medical physics practice and training in Ghana

Medical physics has been an indispensable and strategic stakeholder in the delivery of radiological services to the healthcare system of Ghana. The practice has immensely supported radiation oncology and medical imaging facilities over the years, while the locally established training programme continues to produce human resource to feed these facilities. The training programme has grown to receive students from other African countries in addition to local students. Ghana has been recognised by the International Atomic Energy Agency as Regional Designated Centre for Academic Training of Medical Physicists in Africa. The Ghana Society for Medical Physics collaborates with the School of Nuclear and Allied Sciences of the University of Ghana to ensure that training offered to medical physicists meet international standards, making them clinically qualified. The Society has also worked together with other bodies for the passage of the Health Profession’s Regulatory Bodies Act, giving legal backing to the practice of medical physics and other allied health professions in Ghana. The country has participated in a number of International Atomic Energy Agency’s projects on medical physics and has benefited from its training courses, fellowships and workshops, as well as those of other agencies such as International Organization for Medical Physics. This has placed Ghana’s medical physicists in good position to practice competently and improve healthcare.

Female medical physicists: The results of a survey carried out by the International Organization for Medical Physics

IntroductionThe gender composition of the existing medical physicist (MP) workforce around the world is basically unknown. The International Organization for Medical Physics (IOMP) performed a survey in order to investigate the number of MPs in countries around the world and the percentage of women MPs compared to total number of MPs. Materials and methodsA simple online questionnaire prepared as a Google Forms survey asking the country, the total number of MPs, the number of female MPs and finally the gender of the person providing the data was sent in mid-March 2013 to six regional member organizations of IOMP, as well as contact points in many member countries. ResultsSixty-six countries responded to the survey by mid-July 2013. Fifty two percent of those who filled the form were females, the rest males. The total number of MPs was 17,024, of which 28% were female (4807). The median values of percentages of females were 21% in the USA, 47% in Europe, 35% in Asia, 33% in Africa and 24% in Latin America. ConclusionThis is the first international survey that investigates the number and percentage of female MPs around the world. There are European countries that are far away from the target set by European Commission (40%) whereas in countries in the Middle East and Asia, female MPs actually outnumber males. This study is the first step in a more in-depth study that needs to be taken in near future.

MO‐D‐16A‐01: International Day of Medical Physics

International Organization for Medical Physics (IOMP) which represents medical physicists in more than 80 countries decided to celebrate 7th November, birth date of the Polish and naturalized‐French physicist Marie Sklodowska‐Curie, as International Day of Medical Physics (IDMP). The main purpose of the initiative is to raise the visibility and awareness of medical physicist in the global community, to introduce ourselves to the general public, and bring a message to the community that a group of health professionals, the medical physicists are there to help the patients and other health professionals. First celebration was done in 2013 and now IDMP will be celebrated every year. The theme of IDMP will be different each year. The theme for 2013 was ‘Radiation exposure from medical procedures, ask the Medical Physicist’. The inaugural event was celebrated in 23 countries and the amount of attention gained was remarkable. Main IDMP events were held in Poland, birthplace of Marie Curie, and France, workplace of Marie Curie. This year IOMP celebrates the 2nd IDMP and theme will be ‘Looking into the body‐Advancement in Imaging through Medical Physics’ to draw attention to the profound contributions Medical Physics has made to the use of ionizing and non‐ionizing radiation for the imaging of human body. A number of countries have informed about events that they are going to organize on IDMP. This gives wide attention to medical physics globally. AAPM is a major and important member of IOMP. It is hoped that AAPM will join in organizing activities.Learning Objectives: To learn about International Day of Medical Physics To become familiar with how first IDMP was celebrated in 2013 and learning achieved To understand on future plans for IDMPs

Introducing the Institute of Physics in Engineering and Medicine (IPEM)

Introducing the Institute of Physics in Engineering and Medicine (IPEM)

Introducing the Institute of Physics in Engineering and Medicine (IPEM)

Introducing the Institute of Physics in Engineering and Medicine (IPEM)

Marie Curie's contribution to Medical Physics

On occasion of its 50th anniversary, the International Organization for Medical Physics (IOMP) from now on is going to celebrate annually an International Day of Medical Physics for which the 7th November, the birthday of Marie Sklodowska Curie, a most exceptional character in science at all and a pioneer of medical physics, has been chosen. This article briefly outlines her outstanding personality, sketches her fundamental discovery of radioactivity and emphasizes the impact of her various achievements on the development of medical physics at large.

IAEA contribution to international harmonization of guidelines for clinical medical radiation physicists

The IAEA's Technical Cooperation Project INT/6/054 “Strengthening Medical Physics in Radiation Medicine” aims at promoting the recognition of medical physics in radiation medicine and to harmonize educational and clinical training requirements in order to achieve the required standard of patient care in radiation medicine. To achieve this project's objective, the IAEA's efforts were supported by numerous stakeholders from medical physics professional societies and regional counterparts from Europe, Africa, Latin America and Asia. Within this project, the IAEA established four Working Groups (WGs) to address the issues of (i) roles and responsibilities, (ii) education & clinical training requirements, (iii) staffing requirements and (iv) raising awareness on the medical physics profession. The WG1 and WG2 drafted the guidelines on roles and responsibilities, and education & clinical training requirements for clinical medical physicists. The guidelines were compiled into a single report, aiming at providing recommendations on the minimum requirements for the academic education and clinical training necessary for a physicist to become a clinically qualified medical physicist. They include recommendations for accreditation, certification and registration, along with continuous professional development. With the purpose of establishing the grounds for substantiating the recommendation on education and clinical training requirements, the IAEA report includes first the roles and responsibilities of a clinically qualified medical physicist in radiation medicine. The goal of the IAEA report is to establish criteria that support the harmonization of education and clinical training worldwide, as well as promoting the recognition and professionalism of medical physics as a profession internationally. The IAEA report was endorsed by the International Organization for Medical Physics (IOMP) and approved for publication as an IAEA Human Health Report. The main recommendations included in the IAEA report will be presented, together with preliminary plans to support implementation, especially in low and middle income countries. 1 IAEA, 2 Portugal, IOMP, 3 Hong Kong, China, IOMP, 4B.O.Cyprus Oncology Centre, Cyprus, 5 Karolinska University Hospital, Sweden, 6 Mexico, ALFIM, 7 Colombia, ALFIM, 8 Nigeria, FAMPO, 9 USA, AAPM

Policy Statement of the International Organization for Medical Physics

Over the past few years papers have appeared in the scientific literature that predict thousands of cancers and cancer deaths each year in populations of patients receiving medical imaging procedures (primarily computed tomography) employing ionizing radiation. The predictions in these papers are computed by estimating very small and hypothetical risks at low radiation doses and multiplying these speculative estimates by large numbers of patients experiencing medical imaging. The public media use these papers to develop print and electronic news releases that raise anxiety in parents, families and patients, at times causing them to delay or defer needed imaging procedures. Decisions to delay or defer examinations constitute real risks to patients, as contrasted with the hypothetical risks presented in the papers. Professional organizations, including the American Association of Physicists in Medicine and the Health Physics Society, have developed policy positions in an effort to illuminate the controversy over the risks of low-level radiation exposures (see URLs in the supporting documents and additional readings). Scientific advisory groups such as the International Commission on Radiological Protection, the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements, and the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation have also addressed the controversy (see URLs in the supporting documents and additional readings). Now the International Organization for Medical Physics, representing 80 national and six regional medical physics organizations and 18,000 medical physicists worldwide, has developed its own policy statement which is reproduced below. One can only hope that the policy statements issued by these knowledgeable organizations will have some deterrent influence on the continued propagation of unsupportable cancer risk estimates related to medical imaging procedures conducted with minimum doses of radiation consistent with high quality studies.

Risk of medical imaging

Risk of medical imaging

International Organization for Medical Physics: policy statement and editorial (reprinted from Medical Physics 40(4) 2013)

International Organization for Medical Physics: policy statement and editorial (reprinted from Medical Physics 40(4) 2013)