ESTRO 2023

Session Item

Health economics / health services research

Session Type: Poster (Digital)

Track: Interdisciplinary

Journey:

Securing the future of radiotherapy by the ESTRO five point action plan - the Swedish experience

Kjell Bergfeldt, Sweden

Presentation Number: PO-1099

Abstract

Abstract Title:

Securing the future of radiotherapy by the ESTRO five point action plan - the Swedish experience

Authors:

Kjell Bergfeldt¹, Silke Engelholm², Mattias Hedman³, Per Fransson⁴, Karin Ahlberg⁵, Lars Beckman⁶, Giovanna Gagliardi⁷, Karolina Vernmark⁸, Per Nodbrant⁹, Anna Isaksson¹⁰, Tufve Nyholm¹¹

¹Skandion Clinic and Umeå University, Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå, Sweden; ²Skane University Hospital, Department of Hematoglogy, Oncology and Radiophysics, Lund, Sweden; ³Karolinska University Hospital and Karolinska Institute, Department of Radiation Oncology, Stockholm, Sweden; ⁴Norrlands University Hospital, Cancercenter and Department of Nursing, Umeå, Sweden; ⁵The Sahlgrenska Academy at Gothenburg University, Institute of Health and Care Science, Gothenburg, Sweden; ⁶Umeå University and Sundsvall County Hospital, Department of Radiation Sciences, Sundsvall, Sweden; ⁷Karolinska University Hospital, Department of Radiotherapy Physics and Engineering, Stockholm, Sweden; ⁸Linköping University, Department of Oncology, and Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, , Linkoping, Sweden; ⁹County hospital Ryhov, Department of Oncology , Jonkoping, Sweden; ¹⁰Orebro University Hopsital, Department of Oncology, Örebro, Sweden; ¹¹Umeå University, Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå, Sweden

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Purpose or Objective

Several reports, including bibliometric reviews, have revealed an alarming situation within Swedish radiotherapy. From a former position as a front runner in scientific and technical development, Sweden of today has a limited number of oncologists specialised in radiotherapy and accordingly a decreased activity in research and development. The decreasing number of RTT:s create difficulties in providing radiotherapy for all patients. As a result of a multiprofessional effort the Swedish association of Radiation Oncology (SSOF) was formed in 2021, aiming to turn this decreasing trend.

Material and Methods

Based on the five-point action plan presented by ESTRO in “the white paper” several actions have been planned and executed by SSOF in order to reach all stakeholders – governments and policymakers, healthcare professionals, patients and professional societies, along with national and international research funds to participate and support decision making in order to secure the valuable position of radiotherapy in comprehensive cancer care.

Results

So far 194 Swedish professionals (clinical oncologists, medical physicists, RTT:s and others with an interest in radiotherapy have joined the association. The organisation has achieved an increasing interest and has contributed to a large number of activities from several stakeholders in Swedish radiotherapy and cancer care; the Swedish cancer association have in 2021 and 2022 assigned more than 11 million EURO for clinical research in radiation oncology; the government has financed a benchmarking project comparing radiotherapy in the Nordic countries; Swedish manufacturers of radiotherapy associated products have shown an increasing interest in collaboration; patient groups have joined the mission and are lobbying for a national strategy to form the future for radiotherapy in Sweden; the heads of Swedish oncology department support their staff to participate in ESTRO-meetings and SSOF has organised and plan additional scientific meetings covering the development in radiation oncology. Furthermore, media and patient advocates have helped to set focus on radiotherapy and revealed the emerging needs in Swedish radiotherapy.

Conclusion

Multiprofessional collaboration based on a framework as ESTRO:s five-point action plan seem to be a powerful tool to enhance national collaboration and create a focus on joint actions from several stakeholders.