287 Background: The goal of this project is to improve quality of cancer care across the United States by connecting community cancer center radiation oncologists with highly specialized, disease site-specific radiation oncologists through the use of online technology. Methods: We have developed a website named chartrounds.com which allows community radiation oncologists to interact online with disease specialists and their peers on a scheduled basis in order to present and review radiation oncology treatment plans and cases in real time. Disease sites currently include breast, head and neck, gastrointestinal, gynecologic, prostate, central nervous systems, pediatric, lymphoma and lung cancers. At the conclusion of each session, participants are asked to complete a feedback questionnaire requesting feedback on quality and relevance of the session and the manner in which it might result in practice changes. Results: 650 community radiation oncology physician members from 49 states and 19 countries have enrolled online. In the initial 18-month period (12/2010-6/2012), 23 disease specialists have lead 188 chart rounds sessions with an average attendance ratio of 10 community physician members to 1 disease specialist. On a 5 point Likert scale with 5 representing the greatest impact possible, the mean response to feedback questions is as follows: session quality: 4.7, time used effectively: 4.6, discussions relevant to daily practice: 4.7, session is likely to result in a change in practice: 4.0.More specifically, members reported that they would make the following changes in their practice: change in clinical management of the radiation patient: 35%, change in the selection of patients for radiation: 17%, change in radiation fields: 15%, change in radiation prescription dose: 9%. Conclusions: Chartrounds.com appears to be impacting radiation oncology practice resulting in changes in management and treatment of patients in community cancer centers. Future directions of this project are aimed at demonstrating how these changes could result in significant improvements in cancer care across the United States. This work is funded by the Improving Cancer Care Grant of the ASCO Conquer Cancer Foundation.
Attitudes of radiation oncologists toward palliative and supportive care in the United States: Report on national membership survey by the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO)
