Technical Note: Improving the workflow in a carbon ion therapy center with custom software for enhanced patient care

Sridhar Yaddanapudi; Yushi Wakisaka; Keith M Furutani; Masashi Yagi; Shinichi Shimizu; Chris J Beltran

doi:10.1016/j.tipsro.2024.100251

Technical Note: Improving the workflow in a carbon ion therapy center with custom software for enhanced patient care

Tech Innov Patient Support Radiat Oncol. 2024 Apr 23:30:100251. doi: 10.1016/j.tipsro.2024.100251. eCollection 2024 Jun.

Authors

Sridhar Yaddanapudi¹, Yushi Wakisaka^{2

3}, Keith M Furutani^{1

4}, Masashi Yagi⁴, Shinichi Shimizu⁴, Chris J Beltran^{1

4}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Radiation Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA.
² Department of Medical Physics and Engineering, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan.
³ Department of Radiation Technology, Osaka Heavy Ion Therapy Center, Osaka, Japan.
⁴ Department of Carbon Ion Radiotherapy, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan.

Abstract

Carbon-ion radiation therapy (CIRT) is an up-and-coming modality for cancer treatment. Implementation of CIRT requires collaboration among specialists like radiation oncologists, medical physicists, and other healthcare professionals. Effective communication among team members is necessary for the success of CIRT. However, the current workflows involving data management, treatment planning, scheduling, and quality assurance (QA) can be susceptible to errors, leading to delays and decreased efficiency. With the aim of addressing these challenges, a team of medical physicists developed an in-house workflow management software using FileMaker Pro. This tool has streamlined the workflow and improved the efficiency and quality of patient care.

Keywords: Carbon-ion therapy; Clinical efficiency; Workflow management.