Debra: In the 1950s, particle beam radiation therapy was introduced as an experimental treatment to injure or destroy cancer cells while preventing damage to nearby healthy tissues. Since the 1970s, more than 60,000 people worldwide have received this therapy, and in 2001, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration cleared particle beam radiation therapy for widespread use in the U.S. AHRQ’s Effective Health Care Program recently released a comparative effectiveness report on particle beam radiation therapy for treating cancer. Here to talk about that report is Dr. Elise Berliner. Thank you for joining us.

Dr. Berliner: My pleasure.

Debra: Why do some clinicians consider particle beam radiation therapy to be better than traditional radiation?

Dr. Berliner: Particle beam radiation delivers energy in a way that is more targeted than other radiation treatments. The result is that it can spare the healthy tissue surrounding the cancerous cells.

Debra: How is particle beam radiation therapy different from traditional radiation?

Dr. Berliner: Traditional radiation therapy can’t be targeted as precisely, so it damages healthy tissues near the cancer cells. In theory, this precision makes particle beam radiation therapy beneficial for treating tumors that are in tight spaces, as well as tumors that are difficult to remove, or tumors near critical body parts such as the eyes or brain.

Debra: Does this precision give patients better results than if they received other radiation therapies?

Dr. Berliner: Well, at this point, we don’t know if particle beam radiation therapy offers better outcomes for patients. While we do know that particle beam radiation therapy focuses radiation more precisely, scientific studies so far haven’t measured a benefit in terms of longer life over other radiation alternatives or best uses for different types of cancer, especially cancers such as lung and prostate cancer. This is why it’s so important to balance access to new technologies with research that aims to determine whether the technologies deliver on their promises.

Debra: Dr. Berliner, thank you for joining us.

Dr. Berliner: My pleasure.

Debra: To read the full technical brief, entitled "Particle Beam Radiation Therapies for Cancer," visit effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov.

Rand: Up next, the second segment in a three-part series on clinical decision support.

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Rand: This week we continue our podcast series on clinical decision support. We’re talking about tools, such as computerized alerts, that provide clinicians, patients or others with timely information to enhance their health care. Joining us again is AHRQ Director of Health Information Technology Dr. Jon White. Welcome.

Dr. White: Thank you. It’s good to be back.

Rand: In our last podcast segment we discussed AHRQ’s interest in clinical decision support and the demonstration projects currently underway. Now I’d like to focus on the clinical decision support white papers.

Dr. White: Yes. We’ve actually sponsored a series of three white papers on clinical decision support. The goal of these papers is to advance the understanding of incorporating clinical decision support into ambulatory health care delivery. And I’m pleased to say that we’ve recently published the first two white papers and that they are now available on our Web site at heathit.ahrq.gov.

Rand: So tell us about the first two papers and why we should read them?

Dr. White: The series as a whole will provide a comprehensive overview of clinical decision support and its current state. The first paper, entitled "Clinical Decision Support Systems: State of the Art," begins as a concise review of the evidence, its potential impact, and its use in clinical settings today. This overview was written by researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Rand: And the second paper?

Dr. White: The second white paper is entitled "Clinical Practice Improvement and Redesign: How Change in Workflow Can Be Supported by CDS." It’s authored by University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers and explores the use of electronic clinical decision support.

Rand: Anything else we should know?

Dr. White: Actually, there will be a third paper that will address quality measurement, which we hope to release later this year.

Rand: Dr. White, thanks for telling us about the AHRQ-sponsored series of white papers of clinical decision support.

Dr. White: My pleasure.

Rand: AHRQ’s Health IT white papers are now available for free on AHRQ’s Health IT Web site. Visit healthit.ahrq.gov. Join us again in our next podcast as we continue our series on clinical decision support.

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Debra: That’s it for this week. For more information on these and other health-related stories and topics, go to healthcare411.ahrq.gov.

Rand: Healthcare 411 is produced by AHRQ, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. For Debra James, I’m Rand Gardner. Please join us for the next edition of Healthcare 411.