Join
Get involved

info@rising-ro.org

Research programme

Evidence about radiation oncology in Southeast Europe, generated together.

Research is one of the core pillars of RISING-RO. The programme is designed to evolve through several stages.

Roadmap

Four stages, each building on the last

  1. Phase 0

    Initial Regional Mapping

    In progress

    The first stage explores the radiation oncology landscape and professional perceptions across Southeast Europe. The aim is to identify areas in which professionals perceive the largest unmet needs and where regional collaboration could produce meaningful improvements.

    Phase 0 provides the foundation for subsequent projects.

    Topics

    • Access to advanced radiotherapy techniques
    • Infrastructure
    • Education
    • Multidisciplinary collaboration
    • Professional priorities

  2. Phase 1

    Structured Regional Assessment

    Planned

    The next stage develops a more rigorous and standardized assessment of radiation oncology resources and practices. The methodology includes expert validation of the survey instrument before wider distribution, with radiation oncologists, medical physicists, and radiation therapists from participating countries contributing to validation.

    The intention is to move beyond subjective impressions toward systematically collected regional evidence.

    Reliable comparative information on

    • Workforce
    • Infrastructure
    • Equipment
    • Available techniques
    • Treatment capabilities
    • Training
    • Quality assurance
    • Research participation
    • Implementation barriers
    • Access to innovation

  3. Delphi consensus

    Delphi Consensus Process

    Planned

    Following data collection and identification of key regional problems, RISING-RO can use a structured Delphi process involving experts across participating countries. The purpose is to determine regional priorities and identify areas where consensus can be achieved.

    Possible outputs include agreement regarding

    • Minimum standards
    • Priority technologies
    • Workforce needs
    • Quality indicators
    • Educational priorities
    • Research priorities
    • Strategies for reducing inequalities

  4. White Paper

    Regional White Paper

    Planned

    One of the major long-term scientific outputs is intended to be a comprehensive White Paper on radiation oncology in Southeast Europe.

    The White Paper would serve both as a scientific publication and as a strategic document that could be presented to healthcare institutions, policymakers, national professional societies, European organizations, and potential funding partners.

    Such a document could combine

    • Regional data
    • Infrastructure analysis
    • Workforce information
    • Technology availability
    • Professional perspectives
    • Consensus recommendations
    • Priorities for future development

Multicentre collaboration

A regional infrastructure for multicentre studies

A major future objective is the creation of a regional infrastructure capable of conducting multicentre studies.

RISING-RO can serve as a platform through which participating centres identify common research questions and rapidly establish multinational collaborations.

Projects may include

  • Retrospective multicentre studies
  • Prospective observational studies
  • Registries
  • Implementation studies
  • Quality-improvement projects
  • Health-services research
  • Surveys
  • Systematic reviews
  • Consensus projects
  • Eventually prospective interventional research where appropriate infrastructure exists

Fair and transparent authorship

Contribution recognized transparently and fairly

  • Transparent recognition

    Contribution should be recognized transparently and fairly, including opportunities for investigators from smaller centres and younger professionals.

  • Clearly defined roles

    Governance, authorship, project leadership, and decision-making should be clearly defined.

  • Scientific credibility

    Projects should follow robust methodology and aim for publication in high-quality peer-reviewed journals.

Radiation oncologists, medical physicists, and radiation therapists from participating countries can contribute to the research programme, from the expert validation of survey instruments to future multicentre studies.

Get involved