-RESULTS- Poll: The Future of Treatment Planning

To view the data on a spreadsheet, use the following link: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1z6i7egmTQIjMuwMC0GtAO2_Hn9mr0Eokq1fJEjPDBao/edit?usp=sharing

To view the responses using Google Forms, send us an E-mail using the following link: https://dosepedia.com/contact-us-donate/

---

Select current position:	Select current position:
Dosimetrist	41 (42.3%)
Physicist	31 (32%)
Physics Resident	13 (13.4%)
Masters or PhD Student	6 (6.2%)
Dosimetry Student	2 (2.1%)
Other: Australian Radiation Therapist	1
Other: Industry Medical Physicist	1
Other: Operations Research/Optimization Specialist (PhD in industrial and operations engineering, autoplanning researcher)	1
Other: Unemployed dosimetrist	1

---

---

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 years	37 (38.1%)
~15 years	25 (25.8%)
15+ years	15 (15.5%)
~5 years	11 (11.3%)
Will never become mostly automated	7 (7.2%)
Other: 2 years	1
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 documents	83 (85.6%)
Importing cases to TPS	78 (80.4%)
Contouring	74 (76.3%)
Image registration	70 (72.2%)
Plan evaluation	44 (45.4%)
Other: Evaluation of contouring will still be necessary	1
Other: Optimization	1
Other: Depending on the timescale	1
Other: virtually everything	1
Other: Routine quality assurance	1

---

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 clinic	72 (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 tools	53 (54.6%)
Administrative skills (degree, on the job training, etc.)	50 (51.5%)
Other: Critical thinking and problem solving skills	1
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 overall	1
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 creative	1
Other: Being clinically relevant	1

---

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 planning	66 (68%)
Finding work for a major vendor (Elekta, Varian, etc.)	52 (53.6%)
Moving to a smaller, less advanced clinic	43 (44.3%)
Moving to a programming/scripting-based job	34 (35.1%)
Finding work with smaller startups in RadOnc	28 (28.9%)
Moving to a research-based job	23 (23.7%)
Other: Teaching	1
Other: Space Travel	1
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 physics	1
Other: while physics assumes some dosimetry tasks currently performed by radoncs.	1
Other: Decreasing through attrition	1

---

---

Difference in Perspectives of Dosimetrists and Physicists