Survey in radiation oncology departments in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland: state of digitalization by 2023.

Janssen, Stefan; El Shafie, Rami A; Grohmann, Maximilian; Knippen, Stefan; Putora, Paul M; Beck, Marcus; Baehr, Andrea; Clemens, Patrick; Stefanowicz, Sarah; Rades, Dirk; Becker, Jan-Niklas; Fahlbusch, Fabian B (2024). Survey in radiation oncology departments in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland: state of digitalization by 2023. Strahlentherapie und Onkologie, 200(6), pp. 497-506. Springer 10.1007/s00066-023-02182-7

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PURPOSE

The aim of this work was to assess the current state of digitalization in radiation oncology departments in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

METHODS

A comprehensive survey was conducted in a digital format, consisting of 53 questions that covered various aspects of digitalization including patient workflow, departmental organization, radiotherapy planning, and employee-related aspects.

RESULTS

Overall, 120 forms were eligible for evaluation. Participants were mainly physicians or medical physicists responsible for digitalization aspects in their departments. Nearly 70% of the institutions used electronic patient records, with 50% being completely paperless. However, the use of smartphone apps for electronic patient reported outcomes (ePROMs) and digital health applications (DIGA) was limited (9% and 4.9%, respectively). In total, 70.8% of the radio-oncology departments had interfaces with diagnostic departments, and 36% had digital interchanges with other clinics. Communication with external partners was realized mainly through fax (72%), e‑mails (55%), postal letters (63%), or other digital exchange formats (28%). Almost half of the institutions (49%) had dedicated IT staff for their operations.

CONCLUSION

To the best of our knowledge, this survey is the first of its kind conducted in German-speaking radiation oncology departments within the medical field. The findings suggest that there is a varied level of digitalization implementation within these departments, with certain areas exhibiting lower rates of digitalization that could benefit from targeted improvement initiatives.

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