Program Information
Data Integrity and Electronic Charting (EBRT and Brachytherapy)
L Benedetti (Burgess)1*, R Siochi2*, (1) William Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, MI, (2) University Of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
MO-D-Salon EF-1 Monday 4:00:00 PM - 6:00:00 PM Room: Salon EFThe Electronic Medical Record (EMR) in Radiation Oncology presents the additional challenge of controlling medical equipment, setting it apart from the rest of the Hospital Information Systems Databases. Errors in these records can have potentially fatal consequences, underscoring the need for careful implementation, testing, and maintenance. An understanding of the information technology infrastructure, data storage, and data flow in radiation oncology is crucial for the design of quality assurance policies and procedures that must be performed to maintain data integrity. Such procedures address the data transfer among various subsystems encountered as the patient moves from the initial consult to treatment. These tests should check that treatment information, not just data, is preserved during a transfer between pairs of subsystems. The relevant principles outlined in the rapid communication and the draft TG201 full report will be reviewed, followed by a discussion of the logistics involved in a successful implementation of the EMR. This success depends on the support of not only radiation oncology personnel but also hospital IT staff. Personnel involved in the information exchanges with the EMR will need to evaluate all current processes and modify them to be compatible with the EMR. The modifications should facilitate a safer and more accurate delivery of radiation, not only for external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) but also for brachytherapy. They should also exploit the advantages of an EMR to make processes more efficient and maintain the culture of safety. Implementation of the EMR in brachytherapy requires the collaboration of the Radiation Oncology Department and the hospital Radiation Safety Department to ensure compliance with the NRC or State requirements. An overview of the clinical implementation process of electronic charting for both external beam and brachytherapy will be presented.
Learning Objectives:
1. Review Basic IT infrastructure concepts that are used in the deployment of Electronic Medical Records in Radiation Oncology.
2. Understand the principles of QA and QC data transfer test design.
3. Discuss department staffing and process evaluation for successful EMR implementation
4. Understand the workflow for implementation of the EMR for EBRT and Brachytherapy
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