-RESULTS- Poll: The Future of Treatment Planning

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Select current position:Select current position:
Dosimetrist41 (42.3%)
Physicist31 (32%)
Physics Resident13 (13.4%)
Masters or PhD Student6 (6.2%)
Dosimetry Student2 (2.1%)
Other: Australian Radiation Therapist1
Other: Industry Medical Physicist1
Other: Operations Research/Optimization Specialist (PhD in industrial and operations engineering, autoplanning researcher)1
Other: Unemployed dosimetrist1


What is the time frame that you give before planning becomes mostly automated (> 95% of all plans)?What is the time frame that you give before planning becomes mostly automated (> 95% of all plans)?
~10 years37 (38.1%)
~15 years25 (25.8%)
15+ years15 (15.5%)
~5 years11 (11.3%)
Will never become mostly automated7 (7.2%)
Other: 2 years1
Other: It will be there in <5 years but will take much longer to be widely adopted.1



Which of the following planning associated tasks do you think may also become mostly automated (> 95% of cases)? Check all that apply and mention more in ‘Other…’.Which of the following planning associated tasks do you think may also become mostly automated (> 95% of cases)? Check all that apply and mention more in ‘Other…’.
Creating plan documents83 (85.6%)
Importing cases to TPS78 (80.4%)
Contouring74 (76.3%)
Image registration70 (72.2%)
Plan evaluation44 (45.4%)
Other: Evaluation of contouring will still be necessary1
Other: Optimization1
Other: Depending on the timescale1
Other: virtually everything1
Other: Routine quality assurance1

Which of the following skills will be essential to provide job security for the future? Check all that apply and mention more in ‘Other…’.Which of the following skills will be essential to provide job security for the future? Check all that apply and mention more in ‘Other…’.
Taking on more leadership responsibilities e.g. implementation of new technology in clinic72 (74.2%)
Coding skills (degree, on the job training, etc.)57 (58.8%)
IT skills (degree, on the job training, etc.)54 (55.7%)
Contributing to the development of automation tools53 (54.6%)
Administrative skills (degree, on the job training, etc.)50 (51.5%)
Other: Critical thinking and problem solving skills1
Other: I don’t think these skills would help a Planner so much as it would mean a Planner is transitioning to some other job title. Really I think automation means there will be less planners overall1
Other: but the ones who remain will provide oversight to the automation system (guiding and correcting it)1
Other: as well as planning cases with tricky patients or where the doctor wants to get creative1
Other: Being clinically relevant1

If clinics ever decide to reduce their number of FTE planners, which of the following trends do you anticipate to see for planners? Check all that apply and mention more in ‘Other…’.If clinics ever decide to reduce their number of FTE planners, which of the following trends do you anticipate to see for planners? Check all that apply and mention more in ‘Other…’. 
Transitioning to remote planning66 (68%)
Finding work for a major vendor (Elekta, Varian, etc.)52 (53.6%)
Moving to a smaller, less advanced clinic43 (44.3%)
Moving to a programming/scripting-based job34 (35.1%)
Finding work with smaller startups in RadOnc28 (28.9%)
Moving to a research-based job23 (23.7%)
Other: Teaching1
Other: Space Travel1
Other: Moving out of the industry. There won’t be enough jobs anywhere for dosimetrists.1
Other: dosimetry assumes some dosimetry qa tasks currently performed by physics1
Other: while physics assumes some dosimetry tasks currently performed by radoncs.1
Other: Decreasing through attrition1


Difference in Perspectives of Dosimetrists and Physicists