In 1997, The European Federation of Organisations for Medical Physics (EFOMP) published its recommendation for staffing levels of medical physicists in the departments of radiotherapy, diagnostic radiology and nuclear medicine (EFOMP 7/1997). The calculation was based on the technical equipment of each department and the number of patients treated at the department between years 1995 and 1996. Due to the technical progress in the field of radiological technology, the recommendation should now be seen as outdated.
However, there is no official guidance on staffing levels in the Czech Republic. The legislation just requires that a medical physicist has to be available for a diagnostic radiology department and involved for a nuclear medicine department. For a radiotherapy and nuclear medicine department performing treatment he/she has to be on site.
This issue was addressed by the Czech Association of Medical Physicists (CAMP), which created a “medical physicist calculator” as a practical tool for health care providers, helping them to identify minimal and recommended staffing levels for their departments working with ionizing radiation.
The calculator evaluates recommended overall work load required for medical physics activities. Part of the calculated work load of medical physicists may be substituted by the work load of medical technicians, radiological assistants, or other skilled employees.
Staffing level calculator for medical physicists in radiotherapy
Staffing level calculator for medical physicists in diagnostic radiology
Staffing level calculator for medical physicists in nuclear medicine
Please contact CAMP at email address csfm@csfm.cz for any questions.