AAPM Newsletter | September/October 2020 Vo l u m e 4 5 , N o . 5
ON-LINE LONGITUDINAL ASSESSMENT AND THE GRANULARITY OF THE MEDICAL PHYSICIST’S PROFILE A B R N E W S Ka l p a n a M . Ka n a l | U n i ve r s i t y of Wa s h i n g to n Mat thew B. Podg o r sak | Ros wel l Pa r k Cance r I ns titute R o b e r t A . P o o l e y, P h D , A B R T r u s t e e | M a y o C l i n i c
Twitter: @KalpanaKanal @rapooley K. Kanal, ABR Trustee
M. Podgorsak, ABR Trustee
R. Pooley, ABR Trustee
T
he ABR has heard from medical physicists who wonder if they can be more selective about the modalities they practice in their ABR OLA practice profiles to customize the OLA questions they receive to topics that address only their current work activities. The following is a statement prepared by the ABR recently: Achieving a balance in validity of the longitudinal assessment when dealing with small populations is a challenge in several areas of radiology. For example, modifications to specific practice areas of diagnostic radiology with sufficiently large numbers of OLA participants, although imperfect, have been implemented with reasonable success by limiting the degree to which individuals may define their practice profile. Similar but more substantial issues impacting medical physicists have been discussed on numerous occasions over the past two years among the ABR’s Board of Governors; the board seeks an assessment that attempts to parallel individual practice patterns, but is accepting of the reality that the desired level of granularity from the point of view of the diplomate would not allow for a valid scoring decision. The current program represents a compromise that is adequate (although not optimal) from a statistical standpoint.
Email: kkanal@u.washington.edu
Matthew.Podgorsak@
RoswellPark.org pooley.robert@mayo.edu
General questions about OLA can be submitted to the ABR.
For the medical physics OLA program, the ABR has decided NOT to offer more selective practice profiles beyond the current limits, which align with a diplomate’s certificate (i.e., diagnostic, nuclear, or therapeutic medical physics.) There are multiple reasons for this, but two important ones are: 1. Narrowing the scope of OLA items seen by a diplomate would reduce the validity of the assessment. The ABR relies on OLA participants to rate and evaluate each item, which generates a valid test. The more granular the profile, the smaller the number of physicists answering the OLA questions, thereby reducing the validity of the assessment.
www.aapm.org | 23