Program Information
A Systematic Analysis of the Radiotherapy Provision in Greece at a Time of Deep Austerity Measures
S Morris1*, C Vasilakis2 , (1) CHRISTUS St. Vincent Regional Medical Center, Santa Fe, NM,USA (2) University of Bath, Bath,UK
Presentations
SU-I-GPD-P-2 (Sunday, July 30, 2017) 3:00 PM - 6:00 PM Room: Exhibit Hall
Purpose: New methodologies for the development of a National Radiotherapy Service have been recently published. They prove the financial viability of state sponsored radiotherapy facilities by assessing the % ROI and the Break Even Point (BEP) (years). This is an attempt to critically review data about Greece on the DIRAC database and recent census data to apply these new methodologies.
Methods: The DIRAC database was accessed in 10/15. The following parameters were extracted: MV units and year of installation per facility. The most recent (2011) census data were extracted from HELSTAT. Financial and unemployment data were extracted from the World Bank databases. The numbers of MV units regardless of type, age, or capabilities were binned in 7 major geographic regions.
Results: 42 Linacs and 9 cobalt units in 25 facilities were identified. The ratio of Linacs per million of population is 3.4 as averaged at the national level. This is missing the ESTRO recommendation (5 MV units per million) both in terms of quantity and quality. Great disparities were identified in the NE, NW, Southern and Island parts of the country. Recent literature supports an update/expansion of the existing provision that is financially viable.
Conclusion: This preliminary analysis shows that the NHS provision of RT in Greece has been neglected. Atun and Datta point out that data extracted through DIRAC can be partial/old. Additional information of whether the listed equipment is still in use is required for a complete analysis of the problem. A formalized electronic survey of all RT facilities is proposed. The healthcare policies that govern the radiotherapy provision will be evaluated and compared against other European countries with similar characteristics (Cyprus, Malta) that are meeting the ESTRO-HERO norm. A model for the RT desired standard will be developed.
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