A Flexible Simulation-Based Education Framework for Patient Safety In Competency-Based Radiation Oncology and Medical Physics Residencies
Abstract
Purpose
This work describes the development of a flexible educational framework designed to address required curriculum and professional competencies for Radiation Oncology (RO) and Medical Physics (MP) residents implemented in two distinct clinical and academic environments. The framework combines inter-disciplinary didactic instruction with simulation-based training focused on patient safety incidents and incident review.
Methods
The curricular framework was designed with multiple modules including didactic sessions for foundational knowledge, simulation of clinical safety scenarios in incident investigations and reporting of learnings and reflection. Professional competencies are emphasized alongside discipline-specific skills, including Entrustable Professional Activities EPA (e.g. disclosure of incident to patient by RO) with optional formal assessment. This modular format provides flexibility for implementation by programs that may have different existing curriculums including but not limited to different resources or different assessment requirements. The framework accommodates variability in program size, infrastructure, and local processes, supporting collaboration across institutions and the potential development of a shared scenario repository.
Results
The structure includes a half-day didactic session, a full-day simulation, and a half-day debrief and reflection. Institution #1 implemented the activity 4 times with pre/post surveys for each; targeted second-year RO and MP residents, while Institution #2 has applied the module once to RO PGY1–5 and MP residents. Implementations used faculty role-play or standardized patient, dependent on resources. Patient safety scenarios were anonymized, vendor-neutral, and supported by institutional policies and procedures. Simulation activities included chronology development, stakeholder interviews, clinical impact and dosimetric assessment, disclosure, and recommendation formulation. Feedback from faculty and resident participants at both institutions has been positive.
Conclusion
This novel learning activity demonstrates flexibility and adaptability across diverse institutional contexts. By integrating didactic and simulation components, the framework supports competency development in patient safety and professional practice while offering scalability for broader collaboration and EPA alignment.