Do sustainable palliative single fraction radiotherapy practices proliferate or perish 2 years after a knowledge translation campaign?
Abstract BACKGROUND There is a paucity of data regarding the time-dependent effects of knowledge translation (KT) campaign derived Radiation Oncologist (RO) prescription behaviour. In early 2017, the XXXX and XXXX undertook a comprehensive KT campaign to improve utilization of single fraction radiotherapy (SFRT) over multiple fraction radiotherapy (MFRT) in accordance with clinical guidelines for palliative management of bone metastases. The campaign significantly increased short-term SFRT utilization. We assess the time-dependent effects of KT-derived SFRT utilization 12-24 months removed from the KT campaign in a Canadian Provincial Cancer Program. METHODS This retrospective, population-based cohort study identified all patients receiving palliative radiotherapy for bone metastases in XXXX from 1 Jan 2018 to 31 Dec 2018 using provincial radiotherapy databases. Baseline characteristics were tabulated by fractionation schedule. The proportion of patients treated with SFRT in 2018 was compared to 2017 levels overall and by prescribing RO. Logistic regression analyses identified risk factors associated with MFRT receipt. RESULTS In 2018, 1,008 patients received palliative radiotherapy for bone metastasis, of which 63.3% received SFRT, a small overall increase in SFRT use over 2017 (59.1%). However, 41.1% of ROs demonstrated year-over-year decreases in SFRT utilization, indicative of a time-dependent loss of SFRT prescription habits derived from KT. CONCLUSION Although SFRT use increased slightly overall in 2018, evidence of compliance fatigue was observed suggestive of a time-perishing property of RO prescription behaviours derived from KT methodologies. These findings highlight the need for additional longitudinal KT reinforcement practices in the years following KT campaigns.