Healthcare Science Specialism: Radiotherapy Computing
What does your job involve?
My job is wide and varied from getting involved in research projects, evaluating and introducing new electronic/software systems into the department and workflow, managing data and systems, to developing software, all from a clinical perspective with an eye to patient safety.
What is your proudest achievement / project you have worked on as a healthcare scientist?
When I first started over a quarter of a century ago, a colleague and myself developed the departments first Windows based 3D conformal treatment planning system which enabled the department to become one of the first centres in the UK to improve treatments in this way. Today this is the accepted standard of care but then it was new and exciting and it was very satisfying to be an enabler in this. Today given complexities and regulations this would be hard to replicate.
How are advancements in science and technology shaping your role?
The rapid development of artificial intelligence is shaping our role as we look to embrace what it has to offer in a safe and robust fashion in the clinical environment where patient safety and care is paramount.
Can you share an example of a recent scientific advancement in your field?
Artificial intelligence(AI) in the form of machine learning(ML) applied to the segmentation of cross sectional CT datasets is a recent advancement which is improving the patient pathway and reducing the workload burden from some staff groups enabling them to concentrate on their specialisms.