Realization and application of automatic independent check software for radiotherapy treatment plans

Objective To design and implement an automatic independent check software (AutoReview) for the radiotherapy treatment plan and improve the efficiency of independent check. Methods The patient′s electronic treatment plan chart in the record and verify (R&V) system database accessed by the SQL language was read and parsed. Based on the treatment plan information obtained from the chart, AutoReview extracted all parameters related to the treatment plan from the treatment planning system and the R&V system, and saved the structured data into a local database. For different check items, corresponding check logic was designed and the program was written to realize the automatic independent check. In total, 664 clinical treatment plans for one month were selected as a sample to evaluate the clinical application effect. Results Compared with manual check, AutoReview improved the check efficiency by nearly 60 times and the problem detection rate was elevated by 19.2%. In the two-year clinical application, the software operation was stable, and 14509 treatment plans were automatically checked and identified 588 cases with problems, accounting for 4.05%. Conclusion AutoReview can effectively improve the efficiency and accuracy of independent check in radiotherapy treatment plan. Key words: Automatic independent check; Radiotherapy treatment plan; Quality assurance; Quality control