[The management of particle accelerators in radiotherapy]

In this multicentric survey, the management costs and the technical problems connected with the use of electron accelerators in Radiotherapy are studied. The data were collected by a proper questionnaire and concern 11/35 accelerators in use in Italy, in public hospitals, during the period 1982-1983. The average purchase cost of an accelerator was 1113 milions lire and the amortization cost is 111 milions lire per year. The expenses for the amortization of the cost of the bunker, for ordinary and extraordinary maintenance, for the employed staff and for the electric power respectively, represent the 22%, 5%, 43% and 2% of the total management cost (395 milions lire per year). In 1983 the load per machine was 400 patients and the cost per patient was 1 milion lire. On the average, 4 years are needed from the order to the beginning of the treatments with large differences among centers. The machines average use is 7.1 hours a day and keep 2.8 technicians busy per week. The time wasted by repairs or maintenances increases (+7%) the average duration of stay in hospital of patients. An attentive evaluation of the studied parameters allows us to single out the most significant variables on which is possible to work to increase the efficiency and to reduce the management costs of an accelerator.