Quality indicators in the intensity modulated/image-guided radiotherapy era.

Area of Science:

• Radiation Oncology
• Medical Physics
• Radiotherapy Technology

Background:

• Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy (IMRT) and Image-Guided Radiotherapy (IGRT) are advanced techniques requiring robust quality assessment.
• Existing quality indicators may not fully capture the complexities of IMRT/IGRT implementation and delivery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and validate new Quality Indicators (QIs) specifically designed for Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy (IMRT) and Image-Guided Radiotherapy (IGRT) techniques.
• To establish a framework for evaluating the quality of care in advanced radiotherapy settings.

Main Methods:

• A multidisciplinary working group developed structure, process, and outcome QIs.
• Indicators were selected based on critical issues and tested in four Italian Radiotherapy Centers (Validation Centers).

Main Results:

• Fourteen QIs were proposed, including seven novel indicators and new standards for four existing ones.
• The developed QIs were applied in the validation centers, demonstrating feasibility and utility.
• One center encountered an issue with a specific indicator, highlighting areas for refinement.

Conclusions:

• The proposed Quality Indicators offer valuable metrics for assessing workload and service performance in IMRT/IGRT.
• These QIs can contribute to standardizing and improving the quality of advanced radiotherapy services.