Structure and Processes of Existing Practice in Radiotherapy Peer Review: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Area of Science:

• Radiation Oncology
• Medical Physics
• Clinical Quality Assurance

Background:

• Peer review is recommended for radiotherapy quality assurance to prevent errors.
• Current adoption is inconsistent, with no standardized guidelines for radiotherapy peer review.
• Variations in peer review processes can affect patient safety and treatment outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review international radiotherapy peer review practices.
• To identify variations in meeting structures and processes.
• To develop a standardized framework for radiotherapy peer review.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature review using PubMed and Web of Science.
• Analysis of 17 articles detailing radiotherapy peer review practices.
• Synthesis of findings to define a standardized framework.

Main Results:

• Significant international variation exists in radiotherapy peer review processes.
• Lack of consensus on documentation, reporting, and outcome grading was observed.
• A framework for standardizing peer review process and outcome documentation was developed.

Conclusions:

• Standardized peer review frameworks are needed in radiotherapy.
• The developed framework can guide centers in implementing or updating peer review.
• Standardization will facilitate future evaluation of peer review's clinical impact.