Performance of different radiotherapy workload models.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the performance of different radiotherapy workload models using a prospectively collected dataset of patient and treatment information from a single center.


METHODS
Information about all individual radiotherapy treatments was collected for 2 weeks from the three linear accelerators (linacs) in our department. This information included diagnosis code, treatment site, treatment unit, treatment time, fields per fraction, technique, beam type, blocks, wedges, junctions, port films, and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status. We evaluated the accuracy and precision of the original and revised basic treatment equivalent (BTE) model, the simple and complex Addenbrooke models, the equivalent simple treatment visit (ESTV) model, fields per hour, and two local standards of workload measurement.


RESULTS
Data were collected for 2 weeks in June 2001. During this time, 151 patients were treated with 857 fractions. The revised BTE model performed better than the other models with a mean [observed -predicted] of 2.62 (2.44-2.80). It estimated 88.0% of treatment times within 5 min, which is similar to the previously reported accuracy of the model.


CONCLUSIONS
The revised BTE model had similar accuracy and precision for data collected in our center as it did for the original dataset and performed the best of the models assessed. This model would have uses for patient scheduling, and describing workloads and case complexity.
Barbera
Lisa
L
Radiation Oncology Research Unit, Division of Cancer Care and Epidemiology, Queen's University Cancer Research Institute, and Kingston Regional Cancer Centre, Kingston General Hospital, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
Jackson
Lynda D
LD
Schulze
Karleen
K
Groome
Patti A
PA
Foroudi
Farshad
F
Delaney
Geoff P
GP
Mackillop
William J
WJ
D001071:Appointments and Schedules; D002173:Cancer Care Facilities / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003625:Data Collection; D004526:Efficiency; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D006801:Humans; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009864:Ontario; D010315:Particle Accelerators / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010561:Personnel Staffing and Scheduling; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018787:Radiation Oncology / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D017748:Time Management; D016526:Workload