Practical Implementation of Emergent After-Hours Radiation Treatment Process Using Remote Treatment Planning on...

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Medical Imaging
• Radiotherapy

Background:

• After-hours radiation treatment (RT) for inpatients presents challenges in timely and safe care delivery.
• Existing protocols may not adequately address urgent palliative needs outside standard working hours.
• Minimizing treatment errors and ensuring quality are paramount in emergent RT scenarios.

Purpose of the Study:

• To implement and evaluate a novel process for after-hours radiation treatment (RT).
• To utilize remote treatment planning based on optimized diagnostic computed tomography (CT) scans for urgent inpatient palliative care.
• To enhance the quality and safety of emergent RT by standardizing procedures and minimizing errors.

Main Methods:

• Development of a standardized operating procedure by an interprofessional panel.
• Creation of an optimized diagnostic CT protocol for after-hours use on hospital scanners.
• Implementation of an on-call structure for dosimetry staff enabling remote treatment planning.
• Utilization of simple treatment plans (parallel opposed fields, symmetric jaws) to expedite care and reduce error risk.

Main Results:

• Successful implementation of the after-hours RT process.
• Demonstrated feasibility of remote treatment planning using optimized CT protocols.
• The new workflow facilitated timely and safe emergent radiation therapy delivery.

Conclusions:

• The implemented process, combining optimized CT protocols and remote planning, effectively addresses after-hours RT needs.
• This approach enhances the quality and safety of emergent palliative radiation treatment for inpatients.
• The strategy shows potential to align emergent care more closely with standard treatment processes.