Kearney Maeve, Coffey Mary, Rossi Maddalena, Tsang Yat
Applied Radiation Therapy Trinity, Discipline of Radiation Therapy, School of Medicine, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland.
Department of Radiation Oncology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Tech Innov Patient Support Radiat Oncol. 2021 Mar;17:18-24. doi: 10.1016/j.tipsro.2021.02.001. Epub 2021 Feb 5.
The European SocieTy for Radiotherapy and Oncology Radiation Therapist Committee (ESTRO RTTC) published a guidance document and infographic providing recommendations to minimise risk of COVID-19 transmission in radiotherapy (RT) departments. The purpose of this study was to investigate the changes embedded in RT practice in the COVID-19 era and to recommend proactive measures to protect RT practice in future pandemics.
The study was initiated by the ESTRO Radiation Oncology Safety and Quality Committee (ROSQC). A survey consisting of multiple choice, open ended and Likert scale questions was created to analyse the extent of changes embedded in RT practice in response to the COVID-19 pandemic under the four domains: patient care, RTT workflow, remote working and RT practice. This online survey was distributed globally in May 2020.
229 respondents across 27 countries completed the survey. 60% of respondents reported continuing/commencing RT in COVID-19 patients. Routine testing of patients and RTTs was not common. Split teams' procedures, hot linacs and separate entrances were implemented by 50% of respondents. Remote working was implemented for RT team members where face to face patient contact was not essential. Lack of staff, connectivity issues and lack of confirmed positive cases in the department were the main reasons cited for not implementing recommended measures.
It is suggested that RT departments have responded to the COVID-19 pandemic and implemented certain changes in RT practice. RT departments should act now to implement recommended proactive measures to protect patients and RTTs - frontline healthcare workers.
欧洲放射治疗与肿瘤学会放射治疗师委员会（ESTRO RTTC）发布了一份指导文件和信息图表，为降低放射治疗（RT）科室新冠病毒传播风险提供建议。本研究旨在调查新冠疫情时代RT实践中所发生的变化，并推荐积极措施以在未来大流行中保护RT实践。
本研究由ESTRO放射肿瘤学安全与质量委员会（ROSQC）发起。设计了一项包含多项选择题、开放式问题和李克特量表问题的调查，以分析在患者护理、RTT工作流程、远程工作和RT实践这四个领域中，RT实践因应对新冠疫情而发生变化的程度。这项在线调查于2020年5月在全球范围内分发。
来自27个国家的229名受访者完成了调查。60%的受访者报告继续/开始为新冠患者进行RT治疗。对患者和RTT进行常规检测并不常见。50%的受访者实施了分组程序、热直线加速器和单独入口。对于不需要与患者面对面接触的RT团队成员，实施了远程工作。人员短缺、连接问题以及科室中缺乏确诊阳性病例是未实施推荐措施的主要原因。
建议RT科室已对新冠疫情做出应对，并在RT实践中实施了某些变化。RT科室应立即采取行动，实施推荐的积极措施，以保护患者和RTT——一线医护人员。
