Importance of Patient Safety in Radiation Treatment

Modern medicine requires modern methods to ensure that every patient receives the safest medical treatment. Radiation treatment is a technical therapy that is widely used for treating cancer and certain non-cancerous conditions such as Dupuytren's disease, Heterotopic Ossification, Keloid Scarring and Pigmented Villonodular Synovitis. In radiation therapy, patients are exposed to high-energy radiation to the affected area of the disease. Radiation therapy is highly effective because it utilizes powerful, charged particles; however, this very strength also introduces certain risks. Therefore, ensuring patient safety forms the foundation of every successful radiation treatment plan. In this blog, we have curated a go-to furnished guide that offers an overview of why patient safety lies at the core of performing radiation therapy. 

Understanding Radiation Treatment: What and Why?

In cancer care and beyond cancer care, Radiation therapy is an extensively used treatment to damage the DNA of abnormal cells, preventing them from growing and dividing further. A medically controlled dosage of high-energy radiation is used in radiation treatment to protect healthy cells as much as possible. Radiation treatment is used either as primary treatment, wherein it is combined with surgery or chemotherapy for cancer patients, or as palliative care to provide relief to the patients from advanced diseases.

Radiation treatment is of two main types, which are performed on the patient based on their specific conditions and medical requirements. 

●     External Beam Radiation Therapy (EBRT)(Teletherapy): This type of radiation therapy is the most commonly used treatment for cancer patients. The high-powered radiation beams reach the patient’s body through an external machine. Modern medicine methods allow medical specialists to target the specific unhealthy cells from outside the patient’s body. 

●     Internal Beam Radiation Therapy (IBRT) (Brachytherapy): IRT provides a highly localized dose of radiation to the patient, wherein the radioactive material is placed inside or very close to the affected cells. This method of treatment is highly effective for cancers of the cervix, prostate and breast.

To specifically target patients' health and safety, modern technologies allow oncologists to target specific abnormal cells at the millimeter level, which protects  healthy cells and reduces  chances of creeping side effects. 

Why Patient Safety is Critical in Radiation Treatment?

Radiation treatment is an intangible and invisible medical therapy that is painless for the patients. As the patients can not feel the highly energised radiation beams affecting their abnormal cells in the body, they rely entirely on the precise expertise of Healthcare professionals and modern technology. 

Issues like overdose and underdose of radiation beams may creep up if the radiation treatment is not performed with high precision. If the radiation dose is excessive, then not only can it damage healthy adjacent tissues and organs, but it can also lead to long-term complications. However, if the dose is inadequate, then it will most likely fail to treat the cancer properly. Moreover, the positioning of equipment, equipment calibration and treatment planning are also some of the critical factors that affect safety of the patients if not configured properly.  

Core Measures for Ensuring Patient Safety

Ensuring patient safety while performing radiation therapy is not a one-step procedure. It is a combination of constant monitoring, creating a safe space, medical precision and careful clinical planning. Below mentioned are some of the core measures to safeguard patients during radiation treatment.

●    Precision in Radiation Beams Delivery: Exposing patients to the correct radiation dosage while performing the radiation treatment is essential for an effective therapy. Overdose of radiations can be harmful for the healthy cells of the patient’s body in the long-term. All such dosages shall be verified through senior medical experts.

●    Accurate Treatment Planning: Before hopping on the radiation treatment, medical experts shall create a detailed treatment plan based on the size, shape and location of the tumor in the patient’s body. Advanced imaging methods such as CT, MRI, or PET scans are used while planning a radiation therapy for the patient. 

●   Patient Positioning: Radiation beams are highly powered, and if not positioned with precision, it can pose inherent life-risks for the patients. Medical experts use customized masks, cushions and immobilization devices to ensure that radiation beams reach the intended cancerous cells without deviation.

●  Staff Training and Competency: Radiation therapy is a team effort from oncologists, physicists, and technologists. Continuous training allows each professional to stay updated on safety protocols, equipment and best practices globally. The probability of a professionally trained staff making a mistake is comparatively lower than non-competent staff. Ever-present practical training and knowledge of medical experts directly improves safety for patients.

Building a Culture of Safety in Radiation Treatment: Conclusion

Radiation therapy is one of the most powerful agents in modern medicine, but its effectiveness depends on how safely we deliver it. Patient safety in radiation therapy is built upon accurate treatment planning, technology that delivers treatment precisely, trained professionals and awareness from patients. All are required for patient safety and success of treatment. At the end of the day, patient safety is not an option; it is the essence of quality healthcare. 

At DPMI, we take patient safety seriously and have established it as an underlying principle in our approach to health care education. Patients safety is paramount. In training the next generation of professionals, we are preparing them to combine technical professional skills with ethical responsibilities, to create a healthcare workforce that will implement the highest standards of patient safety in all aspects of Patient care delivery.

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