Should you use an outside, 3rd party physics group to commission your Linac?

Advancements in linear accelerator technology and software-controlled radiation treatment have had a tremendous positive impact on patient outcomes and on the practice of radiation oncology. However, these advancements have also made the commissioning process for linear accelerators more complex. In this blog, we will discuss why we believe it’s important for facilities to consider hiring outside physics support for the commissioning of their new linac.

Typically, a facility’s decision on who will commission a linac is based on input from a variety of stakeholders, including management, physicians/radiation oncologists, medical physicists, facility engineers, and therapists. To many decision makers, it simply makes sense to have the process be driven by the in-house physicists who will be using the linear accelerator to treat patients. Input from all stakeholders is important, but sometimes, outsiders who specialize in commissioning linacs can provide a valuable perspective.

Based on our work with large and small facilities nationwide, we’ve observed that using a third-party physicist group to commission a linac (as opposed to an in-house physicist) offers a variety of benefits:

Reduce commissioning time and start treating patients sooner

A dedicated third-party physicist can fully devote their attention to your facility’s specific case. We’ve observed that facilities that conduct their commissioning in-house can take up to five weeks to complete the process, but third-party commissioning can be completed in as little as four days.

Generate revenue sooner

By shortening the commissioning timeline, facilities often will generate significantly more revenue, which more than offsets the fees. Providers like TrueNorth or GenesisCare’s new Solutions Group may provide commissioning services in the $60,000 price range; when factoring in revenue gains, choosing the third-party route like one of these can mean an ROI of $100,000+ because of the time saved.

Greater efficiency in the process

Third-party physicists double-check their commissioning data against vendor and third-party composite data. This larger dataset prepares them to provide better quality assurance and catch mistakes earlier instead of later.

Better for physicists

The in-house physics group’s current workload does not go away during the commissioning of a new linac. When facilities hire a third party, there’s less interruption to in-house physicists’ “day-to-day” work, allowing them to focus on providing patients with safe, effective treatment.

Better for therapists

During the commissioning process, therapists often need to work extended hours. Implementing the new technology faster means better working conditions for therapists and may reduce the chance of human error during treatments.

Better for patients

A shorter implementation time means there’s no need to delay treatment for new patients, and existing patients can benefit sooner from the newer technologies or treatments that are possible with the newer linac.

Better for the cancer center

In addition to the financial and treatment benefits that come from a faster commissioning time, cancer centers also benefit from having outside physicists visit the site to independently verify data collection and calibration. An “extra set of eyes” may reduce the likelihood of errors in the installation and acceptance testing phase.

For help finding a third-party physicist to commission your linac, contact us here.