The medical dosimetrist vacancy rate increased slightly, however, from 4.9% in 2011 to 5.1% in 2012. Vacancy rates represent the percentage of positions that are open and actively being recruited, according to the organization's Radiation Therapy Staffing & Workplace Survey 2012.

In other findings from the survey, ASRT determined that the average number of full-time radiation therapists has remained at 7.4 per facility in 2012, while the average number of medical dosimetry positions edged higher, from 2.1 per facility in 2011 to 2.5 in 2012.

The survey also queried radiation therapy practices on facility and personnel demographics, equipment users, and their facility's radiation therapy tattooing practices. More than 53% of respondents noted that their facility has a documented procedure for tattooing patients; nearly half of those said their facility uses a handheld needle to tattoo patients, while others said they use a gauged needle, lancet, or syringe. More than 70% of respondents said their facilities use nonsterile ink.

ASRT emailed its survey to 3,165 managers at U.S. radiation therapy facilities and received completed questionnaires from 503 by the survey's close on October 26.