Abstract
PURPOSE: With recent clinical adoption of online adaptive radiation therapy (oART) and the increased workload associated with adaptive radiation therapy (RT), proper staffing for medical physicists is paramount to safe clinical operation. However, there is currently no consensus on the full-time equivalent (FTE) requirements for safe administration of cone beam computed tomography (CBCT)-guided oART. This study aimed to quantitatively assess medical physics workload and staffing needs of a CBCT-guided oART program. METHODS AND MATERIALS: We conducted a detailed analysis of the CBCT-guided adaptive planning and treatment workflows, encompassing tasks such as patient consultation, treatment planning, plan review, training, quality assurance, and treatment delivery. Using data from machine logs, clinical database queries, and staff surveys, we present a framework for estimating FTE values for different staffing scenarios, considering medical physicists' roles as planners, adaptors, or both. RESULTS: FTE calculations, based on an example workload of 100 adaptive and 200 nonadaptive patients per year, for 3 staffing scenarios were provided: medical physicists as planners and adaptors (2.9 FTE), medical physicists as planners but not adaptors (2.6 FTE), and medical physicists as adaptors but not planners (1.4 FTE). These findings offer calculation guidance and benchmarks for staffing requirements in CBCT-guided oART programs, emphasizing the need for specific staffing models to accommodate the complexities of adaptive RT. CONCLUSIONS: This study outlines a framework for calculating FTE requirements for medical physicists in a CBCT-guided oART program. By analyzing the processes for 3 common adaptive RT workflows, this work can provide effective workforce planning and resource allocation estimates. This analysis can be used either before the implementation of an oART program, for program development, or as a review of current practices to ensure operational efficiency and proper staffing levels are maintained.