Attract quality medical physicists

Provider Status will make it more attractive for good quality physicists to join the profession. Currently, the lack of talent coming into the field is a major contributing factor to the problems radiation oncology physics is facing today.

Provider status would recognize the crucial role of medical physicists, provide for more economic stability, and thus, make the profession more attractive for top level individuals.

Radiation oncologists could choose motivated, qualified partners

In the current system, radiation oncologists often have to accept an unqualified medical physicist that is provided to them by the institution. With provider status, radiation oncologists would have more control over the selection of the medical physicist, similar to surgeons who can partner with the anesthesiologist of their choice. Radiation oncologists would no longer be made responsible for the mistakes of the physicist since the physicist would be an equal partner with full responsibility for his area of expertise.

Medical physicists would be stronger, more motivated advocates of radiation oncology.

In today’s economic situation, a strong partnership between physicists and radiation oncologists is important. As healthcare policy scholars push for a link between reimbursement and quality care [6], this relationship becomes one of survival for both professionals.

Preventing further deterioration in radiation oncology care

The income of therapy physicists is far less than it seems, if one takes the typical 60 hour work weeks into account, and the many tests that have to be done during weekends and holidays. The current income of medical physicists will further deteriorate as hospitals will effectively bid one physicist against another as the market saturates. Even today, qualified therapy physicists are leaving the profession for medical school, to become salesmen of medical equipment, or to enter areas outside the medical field. With provider status, hospitals would use only the most qualified individuals, since they would no longer directly benefit from low wages.

With the income differential between the USA and developing nations narrowing, the influx of high-quality immigrants will diminish, putting further strain on the quality of medical physics. Provider status would put therapy physics on a stronger footing, attracting the best and brightest from abroad as well as from within.

1. Ibbot GS, Molineu A, Followill DS, Independent Evaluations of IMRT Through the use of an Anthropomorphic Phantom. Technology in Cancer Research and Treatment, Vol. 5, No. 5 pp 1-7, Oct. 2006. 

2. Mitchell JM, Sunshine JH, Consequences of physicians’ ownership of health care facilities – joint ventures in radiation therapy. New England Journal of Medicine 327:1497-1501, Nov. 1992.

3.  Coleman et al., Lancet Oncol 2008; 9:730-56

4.  http://www.apmnews.com/home.php

5. Ezekial Emanual, M.D, “Keynote I: Beyond Band-Aids: Curing the Sick American Health Care System,” ASTRO 2007.

6. Atul Gawande, MD., “Keynote Address Kaplan Lecture: Medical Errors and Performance in Medicine,” ASTRO 2008.