Purpose: To provide a guideline curriculum related to Artificial Intelligence (AI), for the education and training of European Medical Physicists (MPs).Materials and methods: The proposed... Show morePurpose: To provide a guideline curriculum related to Artificial Intelligence (AI), for the education and training of European Medical Physicists (MPs).Materials and methods: The proposed curriculum consists of two levels: Basic (introducing MPs to the pillars of knowledge, development and applications of AI, in the context of medical imaging and radiation therapy) and Advanced. Both are common to the subspecialties (diagnostic and interventional radiology, nuclear medicine, and radiation oncology). The learning outcomes of the training are presented as knowledge, skills and competences (KSC approach).Results: For the Basic section, KSCs were stratified in four subsections: (1) Medical imaging analysis and AI Basics; (2) Implementation of AI applications in clinical practice; (3) Big data and enterprise imaging, and (4) Quality, Regulatory and Ethical Issues of AI processes. For the Advanced section instead, a common block was proposed to be further elaborated by each subspecialty core curriculum. The learning outcomes were also translated into a syllabus of a more traditional format, including practical applications.Conclusions: This AI curriculum is the first attempt to create a guideline expanding the current educational framework for Medical Physicists in Europe. It should be considered as a document to top the sub-specialties' curriculums and adapted by national training and regulatory bodies. The proposed educational program can be implemented via the European School of Medical Physics Expert (ESMPE) course modules and - to some extent - also by the national competent EFOMP organizations, to reach widely the medical physicist community in Europe. Show less
Purpose: To assess current perceptions, practices and education needs pertaining to artificial intelligence (AI) in the medical physics field.Methods: A web-based survey was distributed to the... Show morePurpose: To assess current perceptions, practices and education needs pertaining to artificial intelligence (AI) in the medical physics field.Methods: A web-based survey was distributed to the European Federation of Organizations for Medical Physics (EFOMP) through social media and email membership list. The survey included questions about education, personal knowledge, needs, research and professionalism around AI in medical physics. Demographics information were also collected. Responses were stratified and analysed by gender, type of institution and years of experience in medical physics. Statistical significance (p < 0.05) was assessed using paired t-test.Results: 219 people from 31 countries took part in the survey. 81% (n = 177) of participants agreed that AI will improve the daily work of Medical Physics Experts (MPEs) and 88% (n = 193) of respondents expressed the need for MPEs of specific training on AI. The average level of AI knowledge among participants was 2.3 +/- 1.0 (mean +/- standard deviation) in a 1-to-5 scale and 96% (n = 210) of participants showed interest in improving their AI skills. A significantly lower AI knowledge was observed for female participants (2.0 +/- 1.0), compared to male responders (2.4 +/- 1.0). 64% of participants indicated that they are not involved in AI projects. The percentage of female leading AI projects was significantly lower than the male counterparts (3% vs 19%).Conclusions: AI was perceived as a positive resource to support MPEs in their daily tasks. Participants demonstrated a strong interest in improving their current AI-related skills, enhancing the need for dedicated training for MPEs. Show less
