The systematic application of quality measures and process control in clinical radiation oncology.

Abstract

There has been growing emphasis on quality measures and process analysis techniques that may be implemented in the daily practice of radiation oncology to improve the overall quality of patient care. In this work, quality measures are a form of monitoring that should be actionable and specific to guide process improvement efforts. They are most effective when used to determine the level of execution proficiency against a standard. Control charts are an effective way to separate a change in the process from process noise such that the user can focus on issues that are more likely to improve quality. The field of radiotherapy would benefit from a common dashboard of quality measures for the different processes in radiation oncology clinics, and some suggestions are provided. The dashboard would be used to provide continuous feedback on a clinic's capability to maintain or exceed standards.