Peer Review is an integral component of quality assurance at UCI Radiation Oncology. All patients who are beginning radiation have multiple sets of eyes reviewing and approving their treatment plans prior to delivery of care. At UCI Radiation Oncology, peer review conferences occur twice weekly and involve clinical presentations including sharing of technical details associated with treatment. While these conferences are led by physicians, representatives from all sections of the department are expected to attend. These meetings are specifically designed to ensure that the highest quality and most contemporary treatments are being delivered. They are meant to be “working conferences” as much as they are educational. From a practical standpoint, the peer review process enables the entire team at UCI Radiation Oncology to:
- Review the radiation treatment plan for every patient treated prior to treatment start.
- Review the brachytherapy plan for every patient treated.
- Present the imaging data, target volumes, normal structures, and radiation doses for discussion.
- Display additional technical details including beam arrangement, coverage of the tumor, tolerance of dose-limiting tissue adjacent to target volumes, and dose and fractionation prescriptions for comprehensive analysis.
- Discuss the clinical data and evidence-based decision-making that was used for each patient.
- Iron out any complexities and challenges that need further clarification so that any ambiguity is eliminated.
- Gain input from all team members to optimize the treatment
- Review clinical trials including eligibility criteria for each case.
- Brainstorm about potential improvements that could be made.
- Achieve a group consensus on radiation treatment prior to the delivery of care.
