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Radiation Planning Assistant - A Streamlined, Fully Automated Radiotherapy Treatment Planning System
Published on: April 11, 2018
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Improving workflow control in radiotherapy using discrete-event simulation
Bruno Vieira1,2, Derya Demirtas3,4, Jeroen B van de Kamer5
1Department of Radiation Oncology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital, Amsterdam, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066, CX, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. b.vieira@nki.nl.
BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making
|October 26, 2019
Summary
Optimizing radiotherapy scheduling with a full pull strategy improves patient timeliness, despite slightly longer waits. This approach helps more patients meet treatment targets and reduces psychological distress.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Healthcare Management
- Operations Research
Background:
- Minimizing radiotherapy waiting times is crucial for mitigating tumor growth and patient distress.
- Radiotherapy pre-treatment workflow is influenced by scheduling strategies: pull (appointment after consultation) and push (appointment after workflow completion).
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the impact of pull and push strategies on radiotherapy timeliness.
- To explore interventions for improving the efficiency of radiotherapy pre-treatment workflows.
Main Methods:
- Discrete-event simulation modeled patient flow in a Dutch hospital's radiotherapy department.
- Model inputs were derived from staff surveys, manager interviews, and historical data (2017), accounting for patient inflow and resource variability.
Main Results:
- A hybrid (40% pull/60% push) strategy showed 12% lower average waiting times and 48% fewer rebooks than a full pull strategy.
- However, the full pull strategy resulted in 41% fewer patients missing waiting time targets.
- Evenly spreading consultation slots reduced waiting times by 21% in the baseline case.
Conclusions:
- A 100% pull strategy enables more patients to start treatment within target waiting times compared to a hybrid strategy.
- The study provides an algorithm for policymakers to balance push and pull strategies for timely, patient-centered radiotherapy care.
