[Patient-centered image and data management in radiation oncology]

Area of Science:

• Medical Physics
• Health Informatics
• Radiation Oncology

Context:

• Advancements in radiotherapy, including intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) and image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT), have significantly increased data traffic.
• Current radiotherapy workflows are multidimensional, involving diverse data classes beyond standard DICOM images, necessitating enhanced data management strategies.

Purpose:

• To address the challenges of integrating electronic data management in radiation oncology departments.
• To propose a unified system architecture for radiation therapy data management, aligning with modern healthcare IT standards.

Summary:

• Radiotherapy departments manage multiple data types (RT/machine, patient documents, DICOM/non-DICOM images) requiring adaptive feedback loops.
• Electronic data management in radiation oncology must comply with specific legal requirements, differing from radiology systems.
• A proposed architecture integrates Record and Verify (R&V) systems, PACS, and Electronic Medical Records (EMR) under Hospital Information System (HIS) control.

Impact:

• Facilitates a transition towards a paperless and filmless environment in radiation oncology.
• Enhances patient- and treatment-course-centered data management for improved clinical workflows.
• Provides a framework for robust and compliant electronic data management in radiation therapy departments.