Cancer Experts Detail How InSightive™ Analytics Can Be Used To Enhance Outcomes Across A Network Of Radiation Oncology Treatment Centers

SAN ANTONIO, Oct. 21, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Radiation oncology experts from Sarah Cannon, the global cancer institute of Hospital Corporation of America (HCA), recently reported that InSightive^TM analytics software from Varian Medical Systems (NYSE: VAR) can be used to identify and track key healthcare metrics for better patient care. In a pilot study presentation here last week, they highlighted the value of using InSightive to identify leading indicators that can be used to improve care delivery for cancer patients receiving radiation oncology services.^*

Speakers from Sarah Cannon detailed their findings before an audience of some 800 radiation oncology professionals at a Varian User's Meeting that was held just prior to the 2015 annual meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO).

"The use of InSightive analytics has supported our capabilities to more rapidly access comprehensive data captured during radiation oncology operations to inform clinical and operational best practices," said Andrew Kennedy, MD, physician in chief, Radiation Oncology for Sarah Cannon. "Identifying leading indicators for performance improvement is essential to providing the highest quality care to cancer patients, and we look forward to expanding our use of real-time analytics to enhance patient experiences and outcomes long-term."

Sarah Canon is consolidating clinical and administrative metrics using Varian's ARIA® oncology information system in pilot markets, in order to be able to measure quality, outcomes, and operational performance across business lines from one single platform. "A standardized OIS platform is the foundation for removing variation and improving efficiency," said Kennedy. 

InSightive analytics enables ARIA users to quickly access, organize and analyze data that was captured during clinical and administrative operations. With a vision of aligning operations across its more than 45 radiation oncology sites, Sarah Cannon aims to use the real-time analytics to inform best practices across its network.

Sarah Cannon has developed enterprise-level dashboards and reports that mine the ARIA database to show quality, outcomes, and operational metrics such as daily treatments across technologies, patient consultations, referral trends, retention statistics, toxicity trends, and treatment patterns, creating a comprehensive report for opportunities to improve care and outcomes.

"From this data, we can use an analytics-driven approach to make forward-looking decisions to enhance quality and safety across our coordinated network," said Kennedy.  

With access to more than 100,000 newly-diagnosed cancer patients per year, Sarah Cannon offers integrated cancer services with convenient access to cutting-edge therapies through its network of cancer programs across the United States and United Kingdom. InSightive analytics is helping Sarah Cannon to improve treatment outcomes by identifying patterns in patient data that support the development of personalized treatment plans for patients.

About Varian Medical Systems
Varian Medical Systems, Inc., of Palo Alto, California, focuses energy on saving lives by equipping the world with advanced technology for fighting cancer and for X-ray imaging.  The company is the world's leading manufacturer of medical devices and software for treating cancer and other medical conditions with radiation. The company provides comprehensive solutions for radiotherapy, radiosurgery, proton therapy and brachytherapy. The company supplies informatics software for managing comprehensive cancer clinics, radiotherapy centers and medical oncology practices. Varian is also a premier supplier of X-ray imaging components, including tubes, digital detectors, and image processing software and workstations for use in medical, scientific, and industrial settings, as well as for security and non-destructive testing.  Varian Medical Systems employs approximately 6,900 people who are located at manufacturing sites in North America, Europe, and China and approximately 70 sales and support offices around the world.  For more information, visit www.varian.com or follow us on Twitter. 

*InSightive™ analytics is a software tool for the aggregation and display of customer's information and data maintained within customer's ARIA® oncology information system.  InSightive™ analytics is not a substitute for customer's primary data source and is not for use in the diagnosis of disease or other conditions, or in the cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease.

Press Contact

Meryl Ginsberg
Varian Medical Systems
650-424-6444
[email protected]

SOURCE Varian Medical Systems

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