L-r: Professor David Tidmarsh, vice-chancellor at Birmingham City University; SoR president Michael Graveling and Professor Ian Blair, dean of the faculty of health at Birmingham City University.
A large screen, dimmed lights, high-tech 3D goggles and a captivated audience. No, it’s not the latest showing at London’s IMAX cinema, but a room at Sheffield Hallam University which houses one of the most sophisticated radiotherapy training systems in the world.
Developed by CoRIPS Diamond Partner, Vertual, the national launch of Virtual Environments for Radiotherapy Training - VERT for short - saw the introduction of a radiotherapy training tool which is being rolled out in universities and radiotherapy departments across England.
VERT uses immersive visualisation technology to allow radiotherapy students to enter a virtual radiotherapy suite and set up a virtual patient for treatment.
Not only does it allow students to practise treatment, it gives them an inside view of a patient’s anatomy, pathology and dosage. It does this in a number of ways, including the use of real-life CT scans.
Jemma Smith, a third year student at Sheffield Hallam, said: “It’s a really great system. I was surprised by how close it is to the real thing when I first used it. We’re really enjoying learning with VERT.”
It’s hoped that two of the many outcomes of using the technology is an increase in students applying for radiotherapy courses, and a reduction in the number of those dropping out.
Speaking at the launch, Rob Appleyard, senior radiotherapy lecturer at Sheffield Hallam and VERT co-coordinator, said: “We need to focus on how effective VERT is in recruitment and retention and, in the longer term, we need to measure the effect it has on the patient experience and outcome.”
So far, 20 radiotherapy departments and universities have installed the technology and early anecdotal evidence shows that students are enjoying the experience and getting to grips with treatment much quicker than they would in a clinical setting. Birmingham City University, Kingston University and St George’s, University of London, also recently opened VERT suites.
