ESTRO 2024 - Abstract Book

S2844

Interdisciplinary - Health economics & health services research

ESTRO 2024

Fig. 1: Mixed-method design in six phases to develop and validate a value-based categorisation decision algorithm for radiotherapy interventions

Data collection and analysis

Full methods, data and results from phase 1 and 2 were previously published by the ESTRO-HERO group and can be found in the literature (2-5).

Categorisation exercises in phase 4 and 5 were based on a representative list of twenty-five radiotherapy interventions, validated by consensus in the multidisciplinary expert group to reflect the diversity of radiation oncology interventions. Participants were asked to categorise these interventions using the proposed version of the decision tree, and to provide feedback on the decision and category nodes in a survey with open and closed questions. Data analysis was done using IBM® SPSS® Statistics 29.0 software, qualitative data was analysed thematically and deductively using the constant comparison method. Interim results were discussed at regular intervals by the core research team (AA, YL, MV). Finalisation of results was done by the multidisciplinary expert group in multiple rounds.

Stakeholder recruitment

Phase 3, 4 and 5 involved a multidisciplinary group (n=7) including expertise in clinical radiation oncology, RTT, radiation physics, health economics and health services research.

Participants for the validation categorisation exercises in phase 5 were recruited through convenience sampling in eight ESTRO committees (Clinical, Physics, Biology, RTT, GEC-ESTRO, Young, National Societies, and ROSQC committees), representing the broader radiotherapy community.

Results: