GP Education Programs
What is the purpose of the GP evenings?
GP education evenings provide GPs with a face-to-face opportunity to learn about radiation oncology from health care professionals in a centre close to them. They are held in radiation therapy departments for GPs within the local catchment area.
The first GP evening was in October 2014 at Westmead Hospital in Sydney, there have since been GP evenings held in more than 30 departments across Australia and New Zealand.
These events offer GPs an opportunity to expand their knowledge and hear about the impact of radiation therapy on patients.
What is the program for the GP evenings?
The program comprises of a presentation delivered by a radiation oncologist, covering the basic principles of radiation therapy followed by two clinical cases. The first case is about the indications and benefits of palliative radiation therapy for painful bone metastases and the second case focuses on radiation therapy as an effective and well tolerated treatment option for localised prostate cancer.
There is a guided tour of the radiation treatment machines, the CT simulator and mould room. There is also a show and tell of selected radiation therapy equipment and a walk through of a typical patient pathway through the department.
How do GPs benefit?
GPs learn about the indications, technology and practicalities of radiation therapy. Personalised departmental tours are conducted in conjunction with interactive case-based learning modules which enhance the experience and offer a unique look at how radiation therapy is safely administered with millimetre precision.
GPs have provided overwhelmingly positive feedback about the quality and usefulness of the sessions. 100% of GPs said they felt the session significantly improved their understanding of radiation therapy and that they would recommend the session to their colleagues.
Some feedback from GPs includes:
“An excellent evening! I learnt a huge amount”
“Thank you for an excellent education evening, fantastic!”
“GPs really benefit from updates like these. Definitely more education is needed”
If you would like to host a GP Oncology Education Evening please contact us.
Other resources available for GPs through Targeting Cancer
Targeting Cancer has a growing body of literature tailored to GPs. We encourage visitors to download articles on radiation therapy for localised prostate cancer, brain metastases, high risk cancers and more. Radiation oncologists contribute to the materials and are often contactable for more information and clinical educational collaborations.
Please see Useful Resources to download the articles.
Virtual GP Radiation Oncology Education Evening
Targeting Cancer has also a put together a virtual GP education evening video to enable GPs to enhance their knowledge about modern radiation therapy. The videos focus on the role of radiation therapy in general practice and include a tour of the radiation oncology department.
We encourage GPs and other health care professionals to watch all the videos to gain a better understanding of common cancer management issues.
Part 1: Introduction to GP education evenings
Part 2: Case Study 1 – Bone Pain
Part 3: Case Study 2 – Prostate Cancer
Part 4: Immobilisation for Radiation Therapy Treatment
Part 5: Treatment Planning
Part 6: Radiation Therapy Treatment
Other Useful Resources for GPs
Find additional information about cancer types, research groups, and support groups.
