Best Practice Guidelines for Use of Reference Points in Radiation Oncology Information Systems to Aggregate Longitudinal Dosimetric Data

Abstract

Purpose: Tracking patient doses in radiation oncology is challenging because of disparate electronic systems from various vendors. Treatment planning systems (TPS), radiation oncology information systems (ROIS), and electronic health records (EHR) lack uniformity, complicating dose tracking and reporting. To address this, we examined practices in multiple radiation oncology settings and proposed guidelines for current systems. Methods and Materials: A survey was conducted among members of various professional groups to understand dose reporting practices in TPS, ROIS, and EHR systems. The aim was to identify consistent components and develop guidelines. Results: We identified 6 treatment scenarios where current ROIS defaults fail to accurately represent dose totals. A standardized approach involving 3 reference point types – primary treatment plan reference, dose check, and prescription tracking – was proposed to address these scenarios. Standardizing naming conventions for reference points was also recommended for easier integration with EHRs. The approach requires minimal modifications to existing systems and facilitates easier data transfer and display in EHRs. Conclusions: Standardizing reference points in commercial TPS and ROIS can bridge infrastructure gaps and improve dose tracking in complex clinical scenarios. This standardization, aligned with the American Association of Physicists in Medicine's Task Group (TG) 263, paves the way for continual development of automated, standardized, interoperable tools, enhancing the ease of sharing reference point information.