PQA 03 - Digital Health Innovation and Informatics, Patient Safety & Quality, and Radiation and Cancer Biology
Presenter(s)
K. M. Banson1, B. A. Barry2, J. Xiao3, S. Koduri1, C. N. Leung1, I. Duarte4, A. McCarthy5, J. Belanich1, R. Foley6, S. Sil1, Y. Shi3, K. Shah7, J. R. Rizzo8, and J. D. Domogauer9; 1Department of Radiation Oncology, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, 2New York University Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States, 3Department of Radiation Oncology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, 4NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, United States, 5Department of Radiation Oncology, NYU Langone Health and Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York, NY, 6NYU Langone Hospital, New York, NY, United States, 7Safe Patient Handling and Mobility Department, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, 8Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, 9NYU Langone Health, New York, NY
Background: Approximately 25% of cancer survivors report a mobility impairment. In radiation oncology (RO), mobility impairment presents unique clinical challenges because treatment delivery depends on precise and reproducible patient positioning, prolonged immobilization, and safe transfers on and off treatment tables. Inadequate assessment of mobility limitations prior to simulation or treatment may compromise positioning accuracy, prolong setup time, delay treatment, impact treatment effectiveness and disrupt clinical workflows. There is no validated mobility screening tool specific to the outpatient RO setting. Existing mobility assessments do not address immobilization tolerance, transfer needs, or reproducibility requirements across daily fractions. Within our department, an internal survey of radiation therapists identified the absence of a standardized, prospective mobility-assessment process and inconsistent communication of mobility needs across the care team as critical gaps. The objective of this study is to develop a novel, RO–specific mobility-impairment assessment and to pilot the tool to evaluate its feasibility.
Materials/methods: A multidisciplinary departmental task force was convened, including administrators, radiation oncologists, physicists, dosimetrists, radiation therapists, and nurses. The task force partnered with the Safe Patient Handling and Mobility Department within the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine to develop a RO–specific mobility assessment. Because there is no existing validated tool, the assessment was based on frontline clinical experience. The 17-item survey includes structured and free-text questions assessing baseline mobility status, transfer needs, ability to tolerate immobilization, and anticipated setup challenges. Additional items evaluate readability, efficiency, and perceived utility. The tool is used at consultation to proactively identify patients who may require modified simulation planning, additional staff support, scheduling adjustments, or early rehabilitation consultation. This IRB-approved pilot study enrolls adult, English-speaking patients presenting for outpatient RO consultation. The survey is administered via a HIPAA-compliant electronic tablet during consultation. The target sample size is 30 patients. To assess preliminary sensitivity, survey findings will be compared with documented mobility assistance needs at simulation and treatment. The pilot began accruing in January 2026. At the time of submission, 5 patients were enrolled. Pending pilot results, we anticipate iterative refinement of the tool and integration into routine consultation workflows. Future phases will evaluate implementation outcomes, including effects on simulation efficiency, treatment setup time, schedule disruptions, staff safety events, and patient-reported experience.
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