In 2006, the departmental goal was to create the premier experience for radiation medicine. This task included many projects that all had one goal in mind. A committee was born and the sole purpose was to make radiation medicine a respected department by patients, families, staff, and physicians. A Balanced Scorecard was utilized to strengthen our known weaknesses as well as illustrate positive attributes. This activity allowed us to assign a current letter grade to each area of interest, and, in addition to listing who was responsible. Every month, each section was evaluated and re-graded until the final goal of an A+ was a ttained.  

Patient Satisfaction

Every staff member is given the “authority” to make patients and caregivers feel overly satisfied. The staff gives individualized care to each and every patient and is known for “going above and beyond” to provide a compassionate environment. All patients and caregivers should leave our department feeling satisfied. If there are negative perceptions observed through comments, facial expressions, or negative patient survey results, the director of oncology services is notified and a personal consultation is provided to resolve the issue. The department uses recovery items such as T-shirts, pens, pill dispensers, and tote bags to increase satisfaction on days that patients and families might be less than impressed with our services. The LARK program also is in place in radiation medicine with inexpensive vouchers to help relieve stress from patients and families that had to wait an extended amount of time. On the last day of treatment, every patient is given a Patient Satisfaction Survey. This allows Radiation Management to analyze our strengths and weaknesses. We are able to use this tool on a real time basis with the aid of SLU Cancer Center Biostatics Department. This means that at any given time we can look for negative patterns in the statistics of the surveys and create an action plan in the clinic before a pattern emerges.  

Patient Education

Patient education is another very important aspect of radiation medicine. Today’s populations of patients are very different than those of years past. The current patients are very informed on their health and treatment options available. The staff continually educates their patients on the specific disease process and the specific steps that they will undergo for treatments, and how SLU Cancer Center technologies and physicians will play an important role in their overall oncology care. Radiation medicine tries to accommodate all faucets that a patient may utilize for expanding their knowledge. Saint Louis University Cancer Information Center provides patients one on one exposure to information center nurses and an American Cancer Society representative. Patients learn what services are available from the SLU Cancer Center, ACS and the community. Radiation medicine has a pastoral care representative that mingles in the waiting room just to talk with the patients while they are waiting for their visit or treatment. A registered dietician is on-call at all times and available to visit the department to consult on a variety of topics ranging from meal preparation to G-Tube maintenance. Social service is another shared service that is available to all of the patients if assistance is required. These additional services make radiation medicine a more balanced department for those patients that might not get to experience the Cancer Center.  

Complementary Therapies  

This department has taken multiple steps in combining complementary/alternative therapies to the cancer patients who utilize Saint Louis University Hospital for their healthcare needs. The complementary therapies that are utilized in radiation medicine are music therapy and visual imagery. The program provides a warm, inviting and relaxing atmosphere. This is accomplished through strategically planned warm colors, artwork and music.  

i.                    Music Therapy The waiting room, Varian treatment room, and the CyberKnife treatment room have continuous relaxing music playing throughout the day. Music has been known for many years to reduce anxiety, promote relaxation, and distract patients from pain. There are ongoing studies that suggest that soft, slow rhythmic music can change pain perception if listened to before a medical procedure starts. This benefit alone will be very beneficial for CyberKnife patients who may need to lie still with controlled breathing for up to three hours.  

ii.                  Visual Imagery There is a large flat panel television with a DVD player in the waiting room that plays relaxation DVDs which display peaceful scenes such as ocean tides, mountain tops, flowing streams, and other tranquil images while playing soft music. These types of activities aid in distracting patients and family from pain and mental distress. The images prepare the patients for the treatments ahead by mentally removing their minds from the hospital and transplanting themselves in a more relaxing environment.  

Fulfilling the hospital’s mission to be a partner in the patient’s holistic care, these complementary therapies reduce anxiety, promote relaxation, distract from painful symptoms, and aid the body in repairing its tissue while flushing out the toxins produced by the cancer and the treatments. More beneficial family interaction at home results from the increased level of relaxation and positive mental attitude that the patients as well as families experience.  

Every cancer patient and family member that utilizes radiation medicine as one of their therapies for fighting cancer experiences these additional benefits. Approximately four hundred patients and families receive the benefits from this project each year.