In external beam radiation therapy, maintaining continuous treatment is positively correlated with achieving expected outcomes. Research indicates that treatment delays can negatively affect tumor control and long-term survival(1),(2). As well, research indicates that Cybersecurity incidents in health care settings has been linked to poorer health outcomes, generally attributed to disruptions in diagnostic and treatment activities(3),(4). While some patient-related delays are unavoidable, Beam Medical believes those caused by loss of access to treatment data should be preventable.
Typically, external beam radiation therapy machines can load data from files if available. However, the daily diligence required to export and make this data available in a user-friendly manner is often burdensome, leading to under utilization of this capability. Additionally, during extensive clinic downtimes with power outages to the facility, such as weather-related events, transferring patients to another facility demands careful preparation and timely data export.
To address the data management and usability challenges, Beam Medical has introduced the Modular Accessory for Teletherapy Treatment (MATT). This device helps to maintain continuous treatment at the point of care during ransomware attacks, network outages, or any loss of access to data. In the event of a complete power failure, the MATT device enables the quick export of patient data to external storage.
The MATT acts as a transparent DICOM proxy, continuously caching data so that no manual nightly exports are required for offline use. As long as downtime does not affect the treatment machine and console, the MATT allows for access to the treatment data via a familiar user interface for staging the data and making it available for offline treatment workflows, reducing stress for both staff and patients.
In critical scenarios where power is fully interrupted to the treatment machines, the MATT is equipped with an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) to allow exporting the cached patient data and facilitating transfers to secondary facilities.
When access to the oncology information system is restored, data captured during offline use can be easily synchronized via DICOM transfers.
With its clean and intuitive interface, Beam Medical's MATT offers radiation oncology providers a seamless way to organize, access and use the cached radiation therapy data including treatment plans, images and history data.
By leveraging technology to simplify complex processes, Beam Medical is advancing a more efficient and effective approach to managing data for offline use in radiation therapy.
For healthcare facilities aiming to enhance their disaster recovery and business continuity efforts while maintaining a patient-centered focus, Beam Medical's MATT provides an innovative and user-friendly solution.
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