APEx - Proud to Partner with Physicists

ASTRO’s APEX – Accreditation Program for Excellence^® is proud to partner with physicists in the accreditation and reaccreditation of their radiation oncology practices

APEx was developed by radiation oncology professionals to recognize facilities that deliver safe, high-quality care to their patients. When a radiation oncology practice is accredited by APEx, they have the systems, personnel, policies and procedures in place to demonstrate they are dedicated to high-quality patient care. ASTRO recognizes and appreciates the vital role that physicists play in assuring practice quality and facilitating practice accreditation through APEx. Use the APEx readiness checklist and the accreditation checklist to help start your accreditation journey.

HOW DOES APEX BENEFIT MEDICAL PHYSICISTS?

• APEx standards assist practices in elevating their quality and safety processes.
• APEx delivers external verification of the practice’s QA processes.
• APEx helps to leverage process improvement recommendations.
• APEx partners with you throughout the accreditation and reaccreditation process.

GETTING STARTED:

1. Review the APEx Program Standards to see what is involved.
2. Learn about the five key concepts the APEx standards are organized around.
3. Learn more about APEx and review the APEx Process.
4. Take advantage of messaging provided to convince other decision makers that APEx is the right choice for your practice’s accreditation or reaccreditation.
5. Complete the peer-to-peer request form to have a one-on-one conversation with a medical physicist from an APEx practice.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

• ASTRO Blog: Patient Safety Awareness Week for Radiation Oncology
• ASTRO articles featured in the AAPM Newsletter: 
  • November/December 2022: Quality and Safety: A Multidisciplinary Panel Discusses ASTRO's APEx Accreditation Program
  • July/August 2022: The Role of Quality Assurance Activities
  • March/April 2022: Patient Safety Awareness Week for Radiation Oncology by Eric Ford, PhD, FASTRO, Suzanne Evans, MD, FASTRO, and Jean Wright, MD
  • January/February 2022: ASTRO Quality Improvement by Kamil Yenice, PhD

SEE WHAT YOUR COLLEAGUES HAVE TO SAY ABOUT APEX ACCREDITATION:

Manish Goyal, PhD, chief medical physicist with Texas Oncology, shares why APEx accreditation was the right choice for his practice.

"The APEx accreditation process provided a detailed program through which our practice was able to review our processes, and create, review and revise our policies and procedures to ensure our practice is in alignment with the highest standards of radiation oncology practice. The accreditation process was relatively easy to follow and practices undergoing review will find the feedback and assistance provided by the APEx staff, invaluable. I highly recommend ASTRO's APEx accreditation program."  —Youssef Charara, PhD - Virginia Cancer Specialists

NEXT STEPS:

ASTRO wants to assist your practice in becoming an APEx accredited facility. Request an information session to discover how APEx can benefit your practice. It’s free and takes less than an hour.

If you are ready to get started, begin the APEx application now.