Because radiation is a central curative and palliative therapy for many patients, it is essential to have safe and efficient systems for planning and delivering radiation therapy. Factors such as rapid technological advances, financial reorganization, an aging population, and evolving societal expectations, however, may be compromising our ability to deliver highly reliable and efficient care.

Engineering Patient Safety in Radiation Oncology describes proven concepts and examples, borrowed from organizations known for high reliability and value creation, to guide radiation oncology centers towards achieving patient safety and quality goals. It portrays the authors' efforts at the University of North Carolina to address the challenges of keeping patients safe while continuously improving care delivery processes.

• Reviews past and current challenges of patient safety issues within radiation oncology
• Provides an overview of best practices from high reliability organizations
• Explains how to optimize workplaces and work processes to minimize human error
• Offers methods for engaging and respecting people during　their　transition to safety　mindfulness

Requiring no prior knowledge of high reliability and value creation, the book is divided into two parts. Part one introduces the basic concepts, methods, and tools that underlie the authors' approach to high reliability and value creation. In addition, it provides an overview of key safety challenges within radiation oncology. In part two, the authors supply an in-depth account of their journey to high reliability and value creation at the University of North Carolina.

Lawrence Marks was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. He studied chemical engineering at Cooper Union and obtained his MD from the University of Rochester. He did his residency training in radiation oncology at Massachusetts General Hospital and then served on the faculty of Duke University for 19 years. There, he studied radiation-induced normal tissue injury and became interested in human factors engineering and patient safety. In 2008, he moved to the University of North Carolina to become the Dr. Sidney K. Simon Distinguished Professor of Oncology Research and the chairman of the Department of Radiation Oncology. Over the last six years, he and Dr. Mazur and others have been systematically applying engineering principles from high-reliability and value creation organizations to improve safety. In his clinical work, he has particular interest in the care of patients with cancers of the lung or breast. He has been active in ASTRO (American Society for Radiation Oncology) and currently serves on its Board of Directors as the chairman of the Clinical Affairs and Quality Council. He lives with his wife of 29 years, Caryn Hertz, in Chapel Hill. They have three sons, none of whom is planning a career in medicine.

Lukasz Mazur earned his BS, MS, and PhD in industrial and management engineering from Montana State University. As a student athlete at Montana State University, he earned a spot in the Bobcats Hall of Fame for his efforts on a tennis team. While working at North Carolina State University, he was awarded the Alumni Outstanding Extension Service Award for his outreach work, highlighting his passion for quality and safety work in the healthcare industry. Currently, he is an assistant professor in the Radiation Oncology Department at the UNC School of Medicine. His research interests focus on engineering management as it pertains to continuous quality and safety improvements and human factor engineering with a focus on workload and performance during human computer interactions.
Bishamjit S. Chera is an assistant professor and director of patient safety and quality in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of North Carolina. He received his BS in biology from Winthrop University in 2000 and an MD from the Medical University of South Carolina in 2004. He completed his residency training in radiation oncology at the University of Florida. His clinical expertise is in head and neck and skin cancers. His major areas of research pertain to head and neck cancer and translating quality assurance/control/improvement principles and methodologies from high-reliability organizations to radiation oncology. He has written on the incorporation of practical quality assurance approaches (e.g., process/human factors engineering and Lean methodologies) in the daily activities of radiation oncology departments/clinics.
Robert Adams earned his BS in biology/radiology from Averett University, a MS in healthcare administration from the University of North Carolina, and a doctorate in higher education administration from North Carolina State University. He is an assistant professor in the Radiation Oncology Department at the UNC School of Medicine, and directs both the UNC healthcare radiation therapy and the medical dosimetry educational programs. He is certified in radiation therapy and medical dosimetry. His research interests focus on clinical work practices, patient safety, and educational issues for radiation therapists and medical dosimetrists. He has served on several national and international boards of directors and editorial review boards. He is both a Fellow and an Award of Excellence recipient from the American Association of Medical Dosimetrists. He has published over 50 peer-reviewed articles, 10 book chapters, and recently completed an R25 National Cancer Institute recent grant developing Computer-Based Medical Dosimetry Clinical Learning Modules.