A method of predicting workload and staffing level for radiotherapy treatment planning as plan complexity changes

Area of Science:

• Medical Physics
• Radiation Oncology
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Traditional workload metrics like patient count or treatment fields are inadequate for radiotherapy planning.
• Existing concepts like basic treatment equivalent focus on linear accelerator utilization, not treatment planning workload.
• Accurate workload assessment is crucial for managing radiotherapy clinic resources and predicting organizational needs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel workload indicator for radiotherapy treatment planning.
• To introduce the dose plan unit (DPU) as a measure that incorporates treatment plan complexity.
• To provide a tool for better workload management and prediction in radiotherapy departments.

Main Methods:

• Categorizing radiotherapy treatment plans based on production complexity.
• Measuring the time required to complete plans within these complexity categories.
• Establishing baseline dose plan unit (DPU) values: 1 DPU (non-computed tomography [CT]), 3 DPU (CT-contour), and 6 DPU (full-CT).

Main Results:

• The average dosimetrist productivity was measured at 0.65 DPU per hour (SD = 0.08 DPU), equivalent to 92 minutes per DPU.
• Each dosimetrist can produce approximately 79.0 DPU per month within standard working hours.
• The DPU demonstrated predictive power in quantifying workload changes due to evolving treatment protocols for specific anatomical sites.

Conclusions:

• The dose plan unit (DPU) offers a more suitable and accurate method for assessing and predicting workload in radiotherapy treatment planning compared to traditional metrics.
• DPU allows for better resource allocation and organizational planning by accounting for the complexity of individual treatment plans.
• This new metric can help radiotherapy clinics adapt to changes in treatment protocols and manage increasing patient loads more effectively.