International Community of Practice
A community of practice (CoP) is a group of people who “share a concern or a passion for something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly”
[Wenger 1998]
About the APRT iCoP
The Advanced Practice Radiation Therapy International Community of Practice (APRT iCoP) was formed to create a global network for collaboration within the international advanced practice radiation therapy community.
The idea originated after strong international interest at the 2018 LTWRAP conference, but formal development did not take place until 2021 following pandemic delays. An inaugural meeting on September 24, 2021, brought together members from multiple countries, during which the group approved its Terms of Reference and established a structured committee with national leads. Since then, membership has expanded and launched initiatives in workload measurement, role perceptions, job description analysis, and global radiotherapy access. As a global leader in APRT, Canada’s APRT iCoP has partnered with the Canadian Association of Medical Radiation Technologists (CAMRT) to ensure growth, mentorship and sustainability of high calibre APRT roles for continued delivery of safe, high quality patient care in Canada.
Please click here to access our APRT iCoP Terms of Reference.
Committee / Projects
The iCoP is co-chaired by Natalie Rozanec and Nicole Harnett. Quarterly meetings are held for the full committee with additional ad hoc meetings taking place on an ‘as needed’ basis over the year.
Membership is open to anyone who is interested in advocating, advancing and developing advanced practice for themselves or in their jurisdiction.
The Advanced Practice Radiation Therapy International Community of Practice (APRT iCoP) strive to:
- Advance the concept of advanced practice radiation therapy globally by increasing the fidelity of research methods and evidence.
- Facilitate knowledge exchange between APRTs and to drive forward quality improvement initiatives to ensure that the field of advanced practice in radiation therapy delivers the highest quality of care to patients.
- Generate and disseminate new knowledge in advanced practice radiation therapy.
- Build relationships and form an international community of advanced practitioners in radiation therapy.
- Advocate for advanced practice in the profession of radiation therapy both locally and internationally.
Health Economic Analysis
Around the world, extensive work has outlined the value and workflows of advanced radiation therapy practice, yet one crucial piece has been missing: a clear economic case. In 2025, Ms. Nicole Harnett and Dr. Caitlin Gillan secured a CAMRT grant to develop a fit‑for‑purpose radiation therapy costing model to evaluate the impact of different staffing and workflow approaches, including APRT roles. After completing a literature review, a workshop with 21 international APRT experts took place at the 2025 LTWRAP conference in Bradford, UK, where participants reviewed costing approaches and mapped standard RT workflows to identify where APRTs may influence system costs. Results are now being synthesized to build a consensus workflow for baseline cost modelling, with findings expected soon.
Job Description Analysis
A qualitative analysis of international APRT job descriptions is currently underway to identify recurring themes. These themes will be cross‑referenced with the 27 subdimensions of APRT outlined by Oliveira et al. (2022) to explore the elements that should be reflected in APRT job descriptions. The findings from this work will support the development of an international APRT job description template and help inform future educational and training requirements for APRTs.
Clinical Workload Characterization
In Canada, clinical workload codes have been developed to capture the diverse components of an APRT’s clinical responsibilities. These codes have been used by CSRTs and APRTs in Ontario for several years, with data collected and reviewed quarterly to support ongoing quality improvement. As refinement continues, the codes will be piloted in additional international jurisdictions to evaluate their broader applicability. If your jurisdiction is interested in piloting the APRT clinical workload codes, please contact us at APRTiCoP@gmail.com.
If you are interested in leading or participating in an APRT iCoP-led project, please contact us at APRTiCoP@gmail.com.
Knowledge Translation / Resources
Click
APRT iCoP | Zotero to access a list of publications by APRT iCoP members.
*** Forthcoming Information – Stay Tuned! ***
Contact Us
Interested in joining us? Send email to APRTiCoP@gmail.com
