2021 ASM / R-0330
Maintenance of radiation oncology services in Australia during the COVID-19 pandemic
Keywords:
Oncology, RIS, Radiation therapy / Oncology, Radiotherapy techniques
Authors:
S. Sreedharan, M. Mian; Melbourne, VIC/AU
DOI:
10.26044/ranzcr2021/R-0330
Purpose
- The Australian Government first implemented healthcare restrictions in March 2020 in order to limit virus transmission and protect hospital capacity [1].
- These restrictions led to an abrupt decline in demand for a range of healthcare services in Australia, including diagnostic radiology [2,3].
- Concerningly, the number of new cancer cases diagnosed significantly reduced during the pandemic [4].
- Radiation oncology services underwent operational changes with a view to maintain healthcare delivery in a safe manner during the pandemic [5].
- These changes included extension of the clinical treatment day, staff rostering to allow for segregation, and deep cleaning of work areas [5].
- The aim of this study was to determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on therapeutic radiation oncology services using an interrupted time series model.