CAT-ClinArt: Advances in Clinical Audit Methodology in Radiotherapy

In January, the various working groups of the CAT-ClinArt project held meetings to continue developing their respective research lines.

One of these groups aims to establish a standardized methodology and a solid infrastructure for conducting clinical audits in radiotherapy, with the intention of proposing a long-term permanent audit mechanism.

Within this working group, several subgroups have been formed, each responsible for different key tasks, including:

• The call for and selection of auditors.
• The development of clinical audit manuals.
• The definition of quality indicators.
• The design of dosimetric audits.
• The development of IT infrastructures for data collection and evaluation.
• The assessment of needs and the creation of a strategic plan for a permanent clinical audit system in radiotherapy.

One of the first steps in this initiative will be the definition of quality, safety, and quality of life indicators in prostate cancer treatment with radiotherapy. To achieve this, a literature review will be conducted on practices implemented in reference centers, aiming to propose relevant indicators. Additionally, the focus will be on prioritizing those that can be collected automatically, optimizing the efficiency of the process.

Furthermore, a shared database has been created in RedCAP (a secure web application for creating and managing online surveys and databases). This platform will be used to automatically upload the dosimetric data for auditing and to record the previously defined indicators.

This advancement represents a key step in consolidating a clinical audit model that ensures quality and safety in radiotherapy treatments.