Klik om de stijl te bewerken VUmc Guidelines for radiotherapy staffing and infrastructure in Europe “QUARTS” Ben Slotman, MD,PhD Professor & Chair VU University medical center Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Klik om de stijl te bewerken VUmc Methods 2003 Q1: Questionnaires on guidelines for equipment and personnel and on reimbursment system 2003 Q1-2: Contact by phone, fax, mail, 3 groups of countries based on GDP/capita: –High resource >10 K USD(n=23) –Medium resource3-10 K USD(n= 9) –Low resource <3 K USD(n=12)
Klik om de stijl te bewerken VUmc Results Response –41/44 countries (93.2%) excl. Iceland, Monaco and Moldova –Representing 805/809 M inhabitants (99.4%) Where applicable, guidelines were recalculated from patients to population size using new radiotherapy patients / inhabitants
Klik om de stijl te bewerken VUmc Guidelines linacs available: 17/41 (42%) Population High resources Medium resources Low resources Countries 1 linac per … NP NP 500 NP
Klik om de stijl te bewerken VUmc Guidelines linacs Country Average (popul.) Range (popul.) Average (patients) Range (patients) High resources1: : Medium resources1: : Low resources1: :
Klik om de stijl te bewerken VUmc Radiation oncologists Guidelines available:17 (42%) High43% Med44% Low36% In general: 1 per 250 patients (range )
Klik om de stijl te bewerken VUmc Radiation oncologists Patients Countries High resources Medium resources Low resources
Klik om de stijl te bewerken VUmc Physicists Guidelines available:18 (43.9%) High52% Med 33% Low 36% In general 1 per 565 patients (range )
Klik om de stijl te bewerken VUmc Physicists Patients Countries High resources Medium resources Low resources
Klik om de stijl te bewerken VUmc Technologists Guidelines available:18 (44%) High43% Med56% Low36% Great diversity: in general 2 per linac + for other tasks
Klik om de stijl te bewerken VUmc Treatment planning perfomed by HighMed-Low Technologist/dosimetrist42.8% 0.0% Physicists42.8%85.0% Both14.4%15.0%
Klik om de stijl te bewerken VUmc Quality assurance performed by HighMed-Low Technologist/Assistant14.3% 0.0% Physicists66.7%90.0% Both19.0%10.0%
Klik om de stijl te bewerken VUmc Re-imbursement Great diversity Often more than one system High resourceMedium resourceLow resource Budget-based48%44%91% Case-based24%33%46% Fee for service81%50%18%
Klik om de stijl te bewerken VUmc Special re-imbursement High resourceMedium resourceLow resource Intensive/CRT62%33%27% IMRT24%33%9% SRT48%56%9%
Klik om de stijl te bewerken VUmc General guidelines Linacs: 1 per 450 patients (1 per population); with increasing complexicity 1 per patients Radiation oncologist: 1 per 250 patients with increasing complexity 1 per patients Physicists: 1 per 500 patients or 1 per linac
Klik om de stijl te bewerken VUmc CAUTION ! These are only crude guidelines, which do not take into account the specific structure of the population, differences in cancer incidence and treatment strategies, etc. Better approaches to determine the real needs within a country or region are warranted !
Klik om de stijl te bewerken VUmc Evidence-based guidelines
Klik om de stijl te bewerken VUmc Differences in crude cancer incidences in Europe, due to differences in exposure to risk factors and differences in age structure Use evidence-based indications to calculate needs (SBU, CCORE, QCRI) Evidence-based guidelines
Klik om de stijl te bewerken VUmc Estimated # of linacs per
Klik om de stijl te bewerken VUmc Linacs realized and required
Klik om de stijl te bewerken VUmc Conclusions Large difference in guidelines among Europe and large difference in cancer incidences National incidence rates for various cancers as basis Use evidence based guidelines for use of radiotherapy in these tumors to detemine total number of patients requiring radiotherapy (= number of treatments) On average 450 treatments per linac