Identifies the external beam radiation planning technique used to administer the first phase of radiation treatment during the first course of treatment. This data item is required for CoC-accredited facilities as of 01/01/2018.

External beam radiation is the most commonly-used radiation modality in North America. In this data item we specified the planning technique for external beam treatment. Identifying the radiation technique is of interest for patterns of care and comparative effectiveness studies.

Historically, the previously-named Regional Treatment Modality data item [1570] utilized codes that were not mutually exclusive. Rather, it included codes describing a mix of modalities, treatment planning techniques, and delivery techniques that are commonly utilized by radiation oncologists. However, every phase of radiation treatment will include a specified modality, planning technique, and delivery technique. The goal of the 2018 implementation of separate phase-specific data items for the recording of Phase I Radiation Treatment Modality [1506] and Phase I Radiation External Beam Planning Tech [1502] is to clarify this information and implement mutually exclusive categories. A separate data item for delivery technique has not been implemented because this information is not consistently reported in end treatment summaries.