Abstract
Background: Rising cancer incidence and increasing survivorship continue to strain the radiation oncology workforce. Most advanced practice providers (APPs) entering radiation oncology receive predominantly on-the-job, non-standardized instruction, resulting in variability in preparedness, confidence, and satisfaction. Evidence supports structured online education to supplement clinical learning. Purpose: This quality improvement project was designed to guide iterative refinement of the Advanced Practitioner Radiation Oncology (APRO) curriculum by evaluating its effectiveness in improving APP knowledge, disease site familiarity, confidence in managing radiation-related toxicities, and satisfaction with radiation oncology training. Methods: As no validated tool for radiation oncology-specific APP education existed, survey items were adapted from comparable online medical education evaluations and reviewed for face and content validity by 10 radiation oncology APP experts. A pre- and post-survey design embedded within the APRO 18-module online curriculum assessed self-reported radiation oncology knowledge, familiarity with disease-site treatment paradigms, confidence in toxicity management, and satisfaction with prior training among a national cohort of APP learners. Outcomes were measured on three- and five-point Likert-type scales, with pre- and post-survey differences analyzed using Wilcoxon rank sum tests. Results: A total of 140 participants completed the pre-survey, and 72 (51%) completed the post-survey. Significant improvements were observed across all domains, including radiation oncology knowledge, disease-site familiarity, confidence in managing toxicities, and satisfaction with radiation oncology training (all p < .05). Conclusions: Findings demonstrate substantial educational benefit and support the APRO curriculum as a scalable, standardized approach to APP onboarding in radiation oncology.
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