Informatics Integrated into Front End Management of Radiation Oncology Patients

With increasing use of technology being applied to the management and delivery of radiation for cancer patients, it should be paralleled by use of technology in helping patients have a seamless and comfortable experience in radiation oncology clinics. Traditional clinic encounters have included significant paperwork that has to be entered by patients onto a hard copy and then reentered into computer systems by front office employees. With increasing introduction of technology into the front end, at the very least, redundancy in these tasks can be avoided. Tools such as iPads, tablet computing, and other hand held devices may offer an opportunity for patients to provide this information easily but at the same time learn about radiation therapy and aspects of their cancer management. With computational feedback, clinics can learn about how to help their patients better cope with their current conditions. Ultimately, radiation oncology clinics can offer a paradigm for other medical disciplines in "exploring ways to make cancer care more accessible and friendly to patients through mobile technology such as cell phones and tablets."