ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The report highlights utilization of advanced practice providers (APPs) in an academic radiation oncology center and how their role benefits patient care and departmental workflow. METHODS AND MATERIALS: A self-reported workflow analysis of department APPs was conducted across 5 disease sites. A review of electronic medical records was performed to determine the percent of APP follow-ups completed independently versus in a shared capacity with the radiation oncologist. A review of the APP's didactic and clinical training program was performed. RESULTS: Across all disease sites, approximately 40% of the APP's time was spent on direct patient care, predominantly composed of independent follow-up visits (9%-35%) and telehealth (2%-30%). The breast malignancies group was an outlier with a higher focus on consults or shared visits (25%). Indirect patient care accounts for 30% to 50% of workflow with the focus on visit preparation or care coordination (13%-35%) and dictation (8%-13%). Administrative responsibilities including process improvement, research, education, and leadership account for the remainder (5%-26%) and are varied across disease sites. The central nervous system malignancies group and genitourinary malignancies group reported a greater percentage of their time (23%-26%) on administration compared with other groups (5%-9%). On average APPs see most of their visits independently from the physicians (86.41%) with 13.59% of visits being seen in a shared capacity. CONCLUSIONS: APPs can positively affect the field of radiation oncology by augmenting clinical capacity, optimizing workflow and increasing department efficiency via both direct and indirect patient care and through involvement in administrative and leadership duties. By implementing an independent-to practice model, simultaneous APP and physician clinics run parallel to each other, limiting shared visits for complex cases. This promotes APP job satisfaction and provides greater access to patient care without compromising quality. This article highlights a model for the utilization of APPs, which can be implemented by other radiation oncology departments or practices.
