Initial Experience of a Tele-radiotherapy System for Training Radiation Oncologists in Rural Areas.

Telemedicine is considered to be an important approach for medical education in rural areas. Due to a significant shortage of radiation oncologists in rural areas of Sichuan Province in China, a tele-radiotherapy system has been designed and developed for training radiation oncologists in the Sichuan Cancer Hospital and Research Institute. The whole process of the radiotherapy teaching platform was designed and established in the tele-radiotherapy system. A detailed radiation therapy process could be obtained in rural areas through the tele-radiotherapy system. Through the tele-radiotherapy system, oncologists in rural hospitals are trained at any time and anywhere. And the experience of experts in the Sichuan Cancer Hospital and Research Institute is effectively and quickly conveyed to rural areas. A tele-radiotherapy system is considered to be an important means to promote the level of radiotherapy and to solve the shortage of radiation oncologists in rural areas.