Abstract
The novel coronavirus (COVID‐19) has rapidly impacted all of our lives following its escalation to pandemic status on 11 March 2020. Government guidelines and restrictions implemented to mitigate the risk of COVID‐19 community transmission have forced radiation therapy departments to promptly adjust to the significant impact on our ability to deliver best clinical care. The inherent nature of our tri‐partied professions relies heavily on multidisciplinary teamwork and patient–clinician interactions. Teamwork and patient interaction are critical to the role of a radiation therapist. The aim of this paper is to describe the experience of the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre’s (Peter Mac) radiation therapy services during the preliminary stages of the COVID‐19 pandemic in minimising risk to patients, staff and our clinical service. Four critical areas were identified in developing risk mitigation strategies across our service: (a) Workforce planning, (b) Workforce communication, (c) Patient safety and wellbeing, and (d) Staff safety and wellbeing. Each of these initiatives had a focus on continuum of clinical care, whilst minimising risk of cross infection for our radiation therapy workforce and patients alike. Initiatives included, but were not limited to, establishing COVID‐Eclipse clinical protocols, remote access to local applications, implementation of Microsoft Teams, personal protective equipment (PPE) guidelines and virtual ‘Division of Radiation Oncology’ briefing/updates. The COVID‐19 pandemic has dictated change in conventional radiation therapy practice. It is hoped that by sharing our experiences, the radiation therapy profession will continue to learn, adapt and navigate this period together, to ensure optimal outcomes for ourselves and our patients.
Highlights
The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has rapidly impacted the livelihoods of many millions of people globally in the opening quarter of 2020
We have witnessed an exponential progression in cases since the first reported case to the World Health Organisation (WHO) in Wuhan, China, on 31 December 2019.1 Less than three months later (11 March 2020), we saw the escalation of COVID-19 to pandemic status
Journal of Medical Radiation Sciences published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Australian Society of Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy and New Zealand Institute of Medical Radiation Technology
Summary
The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has rapidly impacted the livelihoods of many millions of people globally in the opening quarter of 2020. Journal of Medical Radiation Sciences published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Australian Society of Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy and New Zealand Institute of Medical Radiation Technology Whilst many parts of Asia and Europe were not afforded the luxury of a brief preparatory window, we in Australia were given this critical period of time to instigate a number of changes to the delivery of our clinical operations This enabled us to minimise the obvious health-associated risks to our patients and our staff, but gives us the best opportunity to minimise impact on our ability to provide the continuum of cancer care to those who need it. This publication will reinforce to our patients that they should remain confident that their safety, physical and mental wellbeing remain our priority as we navigate our way through this challenge
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