Case study: Provision CARES Proton Therapy Nashville
We have an opportunity to challenge the status quo within the oncology industry and to redefine how we deliver cancer care. We know that there are opportunities that exist to deliver better care to cancer patients. We want to take advantage of that, together with RaySearch.”
The Provision CARES Cancer Network was established in 2014 in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA. That center became the first center ever to use the treatment planning system (TPS) RayStation for clinical proton treatment planning.
In October 2018, the cancer network reached another significant milestone, when RaySearch’s next generation oncology information system (OIS), RayCare, was used to record and verify the treatment sessions for the first time. The new Provision center in Nashville uses RayCare as its sole OIS and is the first to do so. The decision to choose RayCare, an OIS still in development, was a natural decision, Ben Frank, vice president of operations, says.
“We have always had this innovative partnership with RaySearch, so when we heard they were going to develop an OIS, we jumped onboard immediately. We have a track record of building great things together”, says Ben Frank.
The clinic found many advantages in being a RayCare partner from early days and taking part in the development of the system. One important factor is also that Provision is driven by the desire to advance cancer care, just like RaySearch, and therefore found a chance to make a real change, Ben Frank says.
“We have an opportunity to challenge the status quo within the oncology industry and to redefine how we deliver cancer care. We know that there are opportunities that exists to deliver better care to cancer patients. We want to take advantage of that, together with RaySearch”, Ben Frank says.
The clinic’s partnership with RaySearch is about the development of RayCare, including the possibility to streamline the system to the clinic’s specific needs. Before RayCare, cancer clinics always had to adapt in order to fit the oncology information system, not the other way around. This is now subject to change, Ben Frank says.
“For the first time, we can build something from scratch, with a wide array of functionality, to design our process as wanted. We can let the system work for us and not the other way around”, he says.
Marc Blakey, director of medical physics, says that the clinic and RaySearch first started out with a workflow that was built as a start-to-finish approach, from the point where the patient enters the clinic for the first time, until the treatment is completed.
“We started that way but modified it over time together with RaySearch when we understood how RayCare worked and how it could work for us. We then decided to go with a more modular approach, with more patient interaction. This way the workflow could be more adaptive, which we appreciate”, says Marc Blakey.
The key reason for selecting all-RaySearch software to Provision in Nashville was the possibility to receive fully integrated systems with a seamless integration between RayStation and RayCare.
“The integration between the TPS and OIS is something that has never been done before within cancer treatment. Just streamlining the integration and having everything under one umbrella, makes it a very user-friendly product”, says Justin Pigg, radiation therapy manager.
A seamless software integration not only streamlines the workflow, but also makes it more efficient. Higher efficiency in a cancer clinic translates into saving valuable time to spend on the patients.
“The more efficient your software is, the more efficient your overall clinic is going to be. Any time I am spending in front of a computer to document the patient’s care, is time lost to interact with the patient. RayCare allows me to be as efficient as possible”, says James R. Gray, medical director.
Marc Blakey speaks about the biggest efficiency improvements Provision in Nashville has met since installing RayCare.
“One of the biggest efficiencies that we have found here, is the ability to get a plan ready for treatment once it has been approved by the physician. It takes just a few minutes, and the integration has helped us expedite that process”, he says.
Justin Pigg agrees, and says that RayCare has also made the scheduling process a lot smoother.
“RayCare does a very good job with the scheduling tab. It’s easier to schedule patients and reschedule them, which makes my job a lot easier.”
The Provision center in Nashville installed RayCare when the center still was under construction early 2018. The proton machine used at the center is also new, which made safety a high concern, Marc Blakey says.
“We had a lot of support from RaySearch, which was instrumental to treat our first patient and being comfortable with it. We were very confident when it was time to go live thanks to the support and validation that had been done prior to the first patient treatment”, Marc Blakey says.
The continuous collaboration between RaySearch and Provision is as strong as ever, and there are many more things to look forward to, Ben Frank says.
“We are both very innovative and entrepreneurial companies and there are always opportunities to improve in our business. At the end of the day, everything we do is for our patients, and we know the same thing is true for RaySearch”, Ben Frank says.
We had a lot of support from RaySearch, which was instrumental to treat our first patient and being comfortable with it. We were very confident when it was time to go live thanks to the support and validation that had been done prior to the first patient treatment.”
RaySearch is a committed pioneer of oncology software. Since 2000, we have worked in close cooperation with leading centers to improve life and outcomes for patients. We develop all our products from the ground up and continuously revise every aspect, from algorithms to user interface designs. Medical science never stands still, and neither does RaySearch — our relentless drive to do things better leads us to ever-higher performance, accuracy, safety and usability. And this is just the beginning.
We believe software is the driving force for innovation in oncology. Our systems use groundbreaking automation and machine learning to create new possibilities. RayCare*, the next-generation oncology information system, will enable one workflow for all the oncology disciplines, ensuring fluid coordination of tasks and optimal use of resources. RayStation harmonizes treatment planning, providing one point of control for all planning needs — any equipment, any scale.
*Subject to regulatory clearance in some markets.
For more information or to see a demo, contact sales@raysearchlabs.com