For more than three decades, Per Halvorsen has been immersed in the world of medical physics, working in a variety of clinical practice settings, from solo physics roles to larger academic environments, before transitioning to Varian’s Advanced Oncology Solutions (AOS).
Halvorsen, now a Senior Director of Physics Clinical Operations, reflected on the increasing complexities of implementing new technology for clinics today and the need for a more holistic approach. He leads a team of physicists and dosimetrists who help clinics implement digital technologies to optimize operations.
As a medical physicist, I’ve seen first-hand the incredible benefits new technology can have on patient outcomes.
But while technological innovations in cancer care treatment have brought new hope for improved patient outcomes, they have also added complexity. At the same time, patients’ medical presentations have also become more complex, with more undergoing combinations of treatments or being re-treated for cancer recurrence.
In the last decade, it's come at us from so many different angles. It wasn't one thing, one new technology that we all are busy adopting, it’s multiple things. Even something we used to consider straightforward, such as palliative treatment, is not simple anymore.
Today’s clinic operations have little room to carve out adequate time to troubleshoot technology adoption challenges or craft customized implementation strategies.
Integrating and optimizing new solutions to meet the unique needs of a practice require more than product training alone. To truly leverage potential benefits, a more holistic approach is needed, including deeper collaboration, training and support.
A new approach to problem solving
The first thing I had to do was adjust my mindset.
While manufacturers have always played an important role in providing training tools for new technology, that role has been often kept at arm’s length when it comes to using it in the clinic. As technology solutions have become more integrated across a practice, more collaboration is needed.
It comes down to “How do we go about doing this in the best way for our patients?”
Implementation planning for technology today must include discussions about a clinic’s scope of services, and what you are planning to do with this technology.
It's not just, ‘We can help you do it faster.’ It's, ‘How can we help you become comfortable with the technology to where you're confident in utilizing it for the patient population served in your particular clinic.’
Planning for success
As a customer, I often thought that if we were struggling it was because somehow a vendor had missed the mark. What I was surprised to find was how many obstacles really have nothing to do with the strength of the technology.
Recognizing the growing complexity, our AOS teams invest substantial time in understanding the full scope of challenges clinics face in integrating new technologies. We aim to bridge the gap between realizing potential benefits of advanced tools available today and the practical challenges of implementation in diverse clinical settings.
We meet with early adopters to understand pain points, identify gaps and learn what worked in the context of different practice settings to develop strategies to address common challenges. This kind of aggregate information – the ability to benchmark your own results against others – is difficult for an individual physicist in a clinic to access through personal experience or network.
Working closely with administrators is key to achieving a shared understanding of a clinic’s needs and the resources needed to implement new technology. Technologies using machine learning, for example, can be powerful tools to drive automation but take time to optimize to a specific practice environment.
I’m optimistic about the potential for technology to significantly improve patient care in radiation oncology.
By fostering a collaborative approach between manufacturers, clinicians, and administrators, this field can continue to evolve and meet the challenges of an increasingly complex medical landscape. The ultimate goal is leveraging new technologies with the goal of expanding patient access to better treatment options and outcomes.
By fostering a collaborative approach between manufacturers, clinicians, and administrators, this field can continue to evolve and meet the challenges of an increasingly complex medical landscape. The ultimate goal is leveraging new technologies with the goal of expanding patient access to better treatment options and outcomes.
Learn more about how Varian’s Advanced Oncology Solutions services can help your team implement and optimize digital technology solutions.