Overall satisfaction was also significantly higher after the first treatment for patients who received physics consults (6.7 vs. 6.0 on a 7-point scale, p=0.014). While satisfaction rose for both groups following the first treatment, it remained significantly higher for the consult group until the end of treatment (6.9 vs. 6.2, p=0.001).
Dr. Atwood said he was excited to see how long the benefits of supplemental consultation endured. “It has a lasting impact,” he said. “We’ve thought medical physics consults had great potential for years, but now we have a clearer understanding of how they positively impact the patient experience."
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While other members of the care team could also be called upon to provide patients with a deeper understanding of their care, Dr. Atwood said he believes medical physicists were uniquely suited to the role because they were so familiar with the science driving the technology being used.
“People don’t realize how personalized this therapy actually is. Medical physicists work behind the scenes to make sure this personalized treatment is both safe and effective. Our study indicates that there also can be a patient-facing role that will allow medical physicists to add more value to the patient experience” he said.
Attribution to the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Annual Meeting is requested in all coverage.
See this study presented:
Examining the impact of direct patient care for medical physicists: A randomized prospective phase III trial (Abstract 7)
News Briefing: Monday, October 24, 9:00 a.m. Central time. Details here.
Scientific Presentation: Clinical Trials Session, Sunday, October 23, 10:20 a.m. Central time, Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center. Details here; email press@astro.org for access.
Journal Citation: Atwood TF, Brown DW, Murphy JD, et al. Examining the Effect of Direct Patient Care for Medical Physicists: A Randomized Prospective Phase III Trial [published online ahead of print, 2022 Oct 24]. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. doi:10.1016/j.ijrobp.2022.05.014
ABOUT ASTRO
The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) is the largest radiation oncology society in the world, with nearly 10,000 members who are physicians, nurses, biologists, physicists, radiation therapists, dosimetrists and other health care professionals who specialize in treating patients with radiation therapies.
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