An interview with MedDos Infinity Task Group Chair Brian Napolitano (Fall 2019):

Who are the members of MedDos Infinity?

The Task Group members were selected from a large and enthusiastic applicant pool. They represent a diverse cross-section of the radiation oncology profession. They come from a variety of clinical environments, educational backgrounds, geographic locations and industry affiliations. See the full list of our members at the bottom of this post. We are grateful for their time and dedication to this very important work.

How is the Task Group approaching the task of defining the future of medical dosimetry?

The work is being divided into 4 areas of focus within these subgroups:

Expertise: This subgroup is examining the education and skillset of medical dosimetrists and how those two things continue to evolve in the current healthcare environment. They are looking at opportunities for medical dosimetrists to diversify their skills and move into other areas of radiation oncology, such as leadership, management, research and innovation.

Technology: This subgroup is looking at how the profession evolves in the face of further automation, the integration of machine learning into routine clinical practice and the promotion of collaboration and optimization of clinical practices for efficiency.

Growth and Sustainability: This subgroup is looking at new skills needed for the profession to evolve – adaptive therapy, particle therapy, etc. – and how these specialized techniques are being incorporated into clinical processes. They are examining workforce issues, such as how to graduate and train enough medical dosimetrists to meet the growing needs for patient care in light of the rising incidence of cancer. They are also looking at how best to meet the training needs of the industry and the role of the certification exam in maintaining currency with technological innovations and evolving skills. Additionally, issues like the role of remote treatment planning or provision of remote services and alternative staffing model scenarios to ensure long-term clinical viability in various geographic locations are also being considered.

Advocacy: This subgroup is looking for ways to continue to advocate for the profession in the clinic and beyond and to make sure medical dosimetrists’ voices are heard. One of their main questions is: How can we effectively articulate the value of medical dosimetry to the healthcare community and the public? They are investigating whether there is a regulatory palate for promoting the need for the qualified medical dosimetrists in the clinical environment. The impact of changing reimbursements is also at the forefront of their work.

What kinds of tools are the subgroups using to explore their areas?

They’re diligently collecting references and resources to produce their hypotheses for how this profession continues to evolve. They are also starting to formulate a comprehensive survey that will seek guidance from the general AAMD membership on various questions that are before the task group.

Task Group members are reaching out to sister societies for information and feedback and working to engage subject matter experts to weigh in on their particular areas of expertise for how the profession will continue to evolve.

How will AAMD members hear about the ongoing activities of the Task Group?

Our plan is to communicate quarterly with members via the AAMD website, eMonitor newsletter and email. We also have a goal to share initial findings of the Task Group at the 45^th Annual Meeting.

What if members have specific concerns to share?

While the Task Group has a lengthy list of questions in front of it, we’re willing to address other member concerns. Please send your questions or comments to the MedDos Infinity Task Group at aamd@medicaldosimetry.org.