Implementation and Impact of Standard Nomenclature for Field Name and Description
Abstract
Purpose
To develop an automatable standard nomenclature for field name and description to reduce field labeling errors.
Methods
A multi-disciplinary workgroup met to discuss which elements should be conveyed via the MosaiQ field name and description. Care was taken for situations where field name may be redundant with fields in current or previous treatments. Once the nomenclature was agreed upon, a TPS script was created to minimize manual entry, save time, and ensure compliance.
Results
To represent beam orientation, the workgroup decided to use couch-gantry (CCC-GGG) rather than anatomical labels. This change avoids confusion for non-head-first supine patients and calls attention to couch kicks. The site name was included to associate fields with a particular prescription which is important in the multi-iso setting. Other elements included are breath hold, bolus, VMAT, and 3D conformal arc as these are key treatment elements that therapy wanted highlighted. Both a numerical counter and sequential letter counter were utilized to ensure distinct field identities. This standard nomenclature was implemented as a pilot with manual name creation in May 2021, while rules were being finalized, and an automated naming script was being developed. During the pilot phase, an increase in field labeling reports was observed as team members became acquainted with the new process that still required manual entry. In December 2021, the field naming script was released. The first quarter of 2022 saw another spike in field labeling safety reports as teams continued to get used to the new script and naming convention. The rolling 4-quarter average shows that as of Q4-2025 there has been an 83% reduction in reported events since Q4-2019.
Conclusion
A standard naming convention for field labels enabled clinical implementation of a field labeling script, which reduced manual entry and therefore safety reports related to field labeling errors.