Consensus Building for Radiotherapy Quality Assurance: A Multicenter Methodological Narrative From India...

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Radiotherapy
• Healthcare Quality Improvement

Background:

• Cancer incidence is increasing in India, necessitating expanded radiotherapy services.
• Radiotherapy quality assurance (QA) is essential for patient safety and optimal treatment outcomes.
• A standardized QA program is needed for radiotherapy centers across India.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a standardized radiotherapy QA program for India through stakeholder consensus.
• To adapt existing QA elements for the Indian healthcare system.
• To establish a framework for site-specific radiotherapy QA programs.

Main Methods:

• Developed the Standardised Unified Radiotherapy QA model (SURAQSA).
• Utilized an abbreviated Delphi consensus process with guidance from the Royal College of Radiologists.
• Engaged radiation oncologists from diverse Indian centers.

Main Results:

• Achieved unanimous consensus on core external QA requirements: center QA, prospective contour peer review, plan quality measures, and protocol-driven management.
• Identified a pilot subsite for the QA exercise with minimal disagreement.
• Demonstrated feasibility of broad stakeholder engagement for focused outputs.

Conclusions:

• Stakeholder engagement is feasible for developing radiotherapy QA programs.
• The consensus process highlighted the need for radiotherapy safety measures across centers with varied resources.
• This initiative is a significant step towards implementing site-specific radiotherapy QA programs in India.