Overview
We believe medical physicists should utilize their unique knowledge and skill sets to broaden their impact on patient care. First and foremost, medical physicists must move beyond the common perception that they only work behind the scenes to ensure the successful design and delivery of treatment. Instead, clinical medical physicists should expand the scope of the profession by establishing independent professional relationships with patients to advance care. The Physics Direct Patient Care Initiative is instrumental to our mission of developing a new clinical role for medical physicists. Learn more about the motivation for this initiative here: Care for Patients, Not for Charts: A Future for Clinical Medical Physics.
A New Clinical Role
Learn how the Physics Direct Patient Care Initiative at UC San Diego is fundamentally challenging what it means to be a clinical medical physicist.
Research
Our team is evaluating the impact of physics direct patient care on patient experience and operational efficiency through a series of clinical trials and research projects. We’re also assessing the efficacy of training programs that are designed to teach medical physicists the skills necessary to communicate with patients effectively in the clinical environment. Learn more about research projects led by Dr. Todd Atwood and Dr. Derek Brown from the highlighted publications below.
Phase II Clinical Trial
Medical physicists met with patients to explain the treatment design and delivery process, and ensure that all technical information was addressed. The results indicated that these consults were associated with low patient anxiety and high patient satisfaction.
Establishing a New Clinical Role for Medical Physicists: A Prospective Phase II Trial
Analysis of Questions
Over the course of 152 physicist-patient consults, all patient questions were compiled into a comprehensive list and organized into 4 categories. The results outlined the primary concerns patients had about the technical aspects of their care.
A Review of Patient Questions from Physicist-Patient Consults
Training Evaluation
Participants ranked their level of confidence and answered common patient questions during the training program. The results indicated that the training increased the physicist's level of confidence and improved responses to common questions.
Evaluation of a Patient Communication Skills Training Program for Medical Physicists
Phase III Clinical Trial
Patients were randomized to the physics direct patient care arm or the standard of care arm of the trial. The results showed significant improvements in anxiety, technical satisfaction, and overall satisfaction for patients receiving physicist-patient consults.
In the News
- Physics World: Medical Physicists Can Reduce Anxiety for Radiotherapy Patients
- VJ Oncology: The Evolving Role of the Medical Physicist
- Aunt Minnie: Physicists Add Value in Patient-facing Role
- ASTRO Press: Medical Physicist Consults with Patients Can Help Reduce Anxiety and Increase Satisfaction with Radiation Care
- Radformation: Should Medical Physicists Play a Role in Direct Patient Care?
Residency Training
Our residency program is designed to produce medical physicists that have the skills necessary to become leaders in our evolving field. This means providing residents with formal training on how to effectively communicate with patients and incorporating them into research that is examining the benefits of establishing independent professional relationships with patients. We achieve this through didactic learning and hands-on experience, which includes simulated patient interactions and supervised interactions with real patients. We want our residents to have the confidence and knowledge to look at our profession broadly and to actively pursue innovative roles in direct patient care that add value to the field of radiation oncology. Learn more about the content and structure of our training program here: A Program to Train Medical Physicists for Direct Patient Care Responsibilities.
"We want our residents to have the confidence to look at our profession broadly and to actively pursue innovative roles in direct patient care that add value to radiation oncology."
Patient Communication Workshops
We are also dedicated to training career medical physicists and other trainees in the field on how to effectively communicate with patients. We currently host a Patient Communication for Medical Physicists (PCMP) Workshop at UC San Diego twice a year, including lectures and instruction from Dr. Derek Brown, Dr. Todd Atwood, Dr. Titania Juang, and Dr. Laura Padilla. This two-day workshop is designed to be an exciting and engaging learning experience, including didactic training, analysis of patient interactions, role playing exercises, and simulated patient interactions. Lean more about our training programs for both therapy and diagnostic medical physicists, and the connection to the AAPM's Medical Physics 3.0 initiative, here: Patient Communication for Medical Physicists. This workshop is endorsed by the AAPM.
Workshop Details
Location: UC San Diego (Virtual and In-Person)
Format: Lectures, Discussion, Hands-on Exercises, and Simulated Patient Interactions
Objective: To learn practical clinical communication strategies for patient interactions and to practice using these communication strategies in realistic clinical scenarios
Target Audience: Therapy and Imaging Medical Physicists
Workshop Cost: $400
Example Program Outline: Agenda
Spring 2025 Workshop (Virtual):
Dates/Registration: May 8-9, 2025 (Registration)
Fall 2025 Workshop (Residents Only, Virtual):
Dates/Registration: October 16-17, 2025 (Registration)
PCMP Workshop
Learn and use prescriptive communication strategies to develop positive, productive professional relationships with patients at UC San Diego.
Team
The Physics Direct Patient Care Initiative team includes medical physicists and radiation oncologists from the Department of Radiation Medicine and Applied Sciences. The team is committed to facilitating the development of more impactful innovations and new clinical responsibilities for clinical medical physicists. Learn more about our team below.
Medical Physicist
Medical Physicist
Medical Physicist
Medical Physicist
Patient Partner
Radiation Oncologist
Medical Physicist
Radiation Oncologist