118 Background: Quality insurance (QI) is a pillar of good clinical governance and is at the centre of modern health care. The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada CanMeds 2015 have now mandated that QI should be taught and the competencies assessed in all post-graduate residency programs. To our knowledge, this is the first attempt to create a post-graduate QI curriculum amongst radiation oncology trainees. We aim to describe the feasibility of introducing these professional skills which should be integral to every training program. Methods: A QI team has been created within the department of Radiation Oncology at McGill University consisting of a clinical fellow and 3 staff physicians. QI teaching will take place in a longitudinal manner with the mandatory curriculum divided into foundation, intermediate and advanced competencies depending on years of seniority. Teaching is delivered by a combination of two academic half days, consisting of didactic lectures and practical workshops, and self-directed online modules. Each resident during the intermediate years (PGY2-4) will complete a QI project in 9 months under the supervision of an attending physician. The resident will become well versed with QI tools and techniques by presenting their project at specific 3-monthly time points to their supervisor and QI team. In June we will host a QI day where a QI scholar will be invited to teach, each resident will present their project and merit prizes will be awarded. Formal mandatory assessments will take place with a combination of self-assessment, QI- knowledge based assessments (QI-KATs) and balanced score cards. Results: The curriculum has been developed with input from McGill University curriculum and assessment experts. This is a pilot program for the academic 2016/17 year. We are currently meeting our pre-defined milestones. The program will be formally evaluated and adapted to ensure sustainability. Conclusions: The QI skills gained will enable the individual to maintain the highest standards throughout their subsequent careers. A robust, interactive, sustainable curriculum will ensure that this is delivered effectively within radiation oncology and act as a model for all residency programmes.
Physics in Radiation Oncology Self‐Assessment Guide. AndrewGodley and PingXia, Editors. New York, NY: Demos Medical Publishing, LLC, 2016. Softcover: 476pp. Price: $95.00. ISBN: 9781620700709.
