Radiation therapists and the Internet: a perspective from Australia

Abstract

AbstractThe Internet is an important information source for health practitioners; yet little is known of how radiation therapists (RTs) are currently using this vast information resource for their professional learning. In 2007, a four-page postal survey was sent to a random sample of 1,142 Medical Radiation Science practitioners with a response rate of 32.8%, which included 76 RTs. This paper reports and analyses the questionnaire responses from RTs on the use of the Internet to update their professional knowledge and issues affecting accessibility to the Internet in the workplace. This research provides an initial data set on the professional use of Internet-based tools and resources by Australian RTs. It has been shown that the Internet is an important information source widely used by RTs as they search the Internet (89%), access specific web pages (85%), use e-mail (84%) and listservs (49%) to update their professional knowledge. Although all RTs reported Internet access within their workplace, a number of factors have been identified which at present limit accessibility of current quality health and medical information through the Internet to RTs. A large number of RTs were unaware of Internet-based resources, such as Cochrane Library (48%) and GoogleScholar (42%), which support evidence-based practice (EBP) and research. RTs in teaching environments had greater access to computers with Internet access than their colleagues in non-teaching environments (p = 0.044). More RTs in the private sector (22%) reported they had ‘no’ access to the Internet in their workplace than their public sector colleagues (4%, p = 0.037). In addition, RTs in metropolitan workplaces had greater access to protected time during work hours for professional reading or study than their non-metropolitan colleagues (p = 0.000). These issues of non-uniformity of resources across workplaces and knowledge gaps within the profession must be addressed so that all RTs can avail themselves of high quality resources available through the Internet that support them in implementing EBP and meeting the mandatory requirement of updating their professional knowledge.