Improving quality of patient care by improving daily practice in radiation oncology

Radiation oncology is an ever-advancing, complex, technologically based specialty that has been thrust into the public spotlight because of recent reports of serious treatment delivery errors that have impacted the quality of patient care. Although quality assurance (QA) initiatives are already common place in radiation oncology, the continued complex technology and automation-based advances in radiotherapy have created new safety challenges. The ongoing evolution of safety challenges in radiation oncology requires corresponding evolution in workflow and QA programs to ensure the quality of patient care. We believe that the incorporation of QA themes into our daily practice will help to create safer patient environments. Practical QA approaches that can be readily incorporated and applied in the daily practice of radiation oncology include process engineering and human factors engineering, medical peer review, "safety rounds," and software QA tools. Most importantly, we need to develop a culture of safety in which all team members work together to maximize the quality of our patient care.