AMPLE e-learning tool helps boost medical physicists in Asia

There is a shortage of medical physicists in Asia and the Pacific, yet demand for their crucial expertise is growing; these specialists play an important role in the safe and effective use of radiation for diagnosing and treating health conditions such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases. In efforts to fill this expertise gap, several countries in the region are now using an online tool called AMPLE, or the Advanced Medical Physics Learning Environment. This IAEA-developed platform provides budding medical physicists with guided learning materials and remote mentorships to enhance their clinical training in hospitals.

“The AMPLE initiative is helping us enhance the recognition,registration and continuous professional development of medical physicists atthe national level. Thanks in part to this work, we have witnessed a rapidincrease in the number of practitioners in the field,” said Supriyanto ArdjoPawiro, a senior lecturer in the Department of Physics, Faculty of Mathematicsand Natural Sciences at the University of Indonesia and the national programmecoordinator for AMPLE in Indonesia. Between 2015 and 2018, the number oftrained medical physicists in Indonesia increased from 14 to 61, which was inpart due to the country’s growing emphasis on medical physics education,including tools like AMPLE, the organization says.

Working in teams alongside oncologists and other healthcareprofessionals, clinical medical physicists’ duties include, among others,planning and verifying that safe and effective radiotherapy is delivered fortreating cancer and ensuring diagnostic imaging provides optimal results withminimal radiation exposure to the patient. Their work requires apostgraduate-level degree in medical physics, a comprehensive understanding ofboth medicine and physics and years of extensive clinical training.

AMPLE is designed to support this rigorous preparation ofclinically qualified medical physicists in Asia and the Pacific by providing astructured, instructor-led learning environment focused on key competencies inareas such as nuclear medicine, diagnostic radiology and radiotherapy. Thiseasy-to-use online platform also connects trainees with experiencedprofessionals in centres around the region, which helps them to strengthentheir knowledge, particularly in preparing to meet national requirements forpracticing as a medical professional.

Over 200 junior clinical medical physicists and 300supervisors and content developers are now using the AMPLE platform. SinceAMPLE was first launched in 2014, the platform has been used by hundreds ofmedical physicist residents in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, India, Indonesia,Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam.

“AMPLE is now widely used around the region. As a web-basedplatform, it offers a unique support to structured and locally supervisedclinical training,” said Giorgia Loreti, a training officer in the IAEA’sDivision of Human Health. “To help countries continue to benefit from AMPLE, weplan to keep supporting updates and expansion of the resources and reference materialsfor each submodule. We would also like to see the AMPLE model adopted by otherregions so that we can establish a vibrant, international network through whichmedical physicists can connect and learn from each other.”

The AMPLE platform was developed through the IAEA regionaltechnical cooperation project ‘Strengthening the effectiveness and extent ofmedical physics education and training’.