Impact of a SBRT/SRS longitudinal telehealth training pilot course in Latin America

Abstract Purpose To assess the impact of longitudinal telehealth training in stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) and stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for clinicians in Latin America. Materials and Methods Professionals from two Peruvian centers received an initial SBRT/SRS on-site training course and subsequently received follow-up telehealth training (interventional group) or not (negative control arm). Twelve live video conference sessions were scheduled. Surveys pre- and post-curriculum measured participants' confidence in seven practical domains of SBRT/SRS, based on Likert scales of 1 to 5, and post-curriculum surveys assessed educators' experiences. Results Sixty-one participants were registered, with an average of 24 attendees per session. Pre- and post- surveys were completed by 22 participants. For interventional and negative-control groups, mean changes in Likert scale were satisfactory for the former and remained unmodified for the latter. Conclusions Conducting telehealth educational programs via virtual classroom sessions could be a reliable method to augment training for SBRT and SRS.