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SWEARINGEN SOFTWARE
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Products
    • RISynergy
    • Interfaces
    • Interface Engine
    • FileAlert
    • Centralized Scheduling
    • Consulting
  • Quotes
  • Who Are You?
    • Director of Radiology
    • Radiologist
    • IT Director
    • Administrator
  • Articles
    • RISynergy vs. Cerner RIS
    • RIS Stealing Profits?
    • Radiology Workflow
    • RIS Vendor Secrets
    • Reduce Radiology Lawsuits
  • Support
  • What is a RIS?
  • What is Best of Breed?
  • What is HL7?
  • Web or Client/Server?
  • FAQs

What is a RIS?

RIS is an acronym for Radiology Information System.  As the name implies, a RIS is a software program that facilitates patient workflow throughout a radiology department.  Before RIS systems were developed, everything was done by hand.  Everything was paper-based, from scheduling books to daily logs to manually created productivity reports.  Not only was this very time consuming, it also opened the door to human error.  


A RIS can be thought of as a 'Black Box'.  The input to the Box is requests for exams (typically from referring physicians).  The output of the Box is the result (as dictated by a radiologist) that gets sent to the referring physician.

Workflow Prior to RIS - Radiology Information System

Front Desk

Technologist

Technologist

  1. Manual scheduling (multiple books)
  2. Look up patient in card file.  This resulted in lost cards, misfiled cards and duplicate cards.
  3. Type, or write, patient info onto flash cards, requisitions, film jackets, daily log, etc.
  4. Apply sticker numbers to film jacket(s)
  5. Notify the tech that the patient has arrived.
  6. Manually prepare charges at end of day.


Technologist

Technologist

Technologist

  1. Perform the exam(s).
  2. Manually update the requisition.
  3. Flash the flash card onto film(s).
  4. Develop the film(s).
  5. Hang film(s) for radiologist.
  6. Deposit repeat film(s) into repeat barrel.

Radiologist

Technologist

Transcriptionist

  1. Read film.  Possibly request a retake.
  2. Dictate result.
  3. Review hardcopy.
  4. Physically sign results.
  5. Create radiologist billing paperwork.

Transcriptionist

Transcriptionist

Transcriptionist

  1. Listen to dictation.
  2. Type report (on typewriter or computer).
  3. Print multiple copies of reports.
  4. Sort reports by radiologist for approval.
  5. Deliver reports to radiologist.
  6. Manually FAX approved reports to physicians.

Pre-RIS Issues

Transcriptionist

Pre-RIS Issues

  1. Scheduling conflicts.
  2. Lost charges.
  3. Inability to track patient wait time.
  4. Many manually created documents.
  5. Manually created statistical reports.
  6. Slow turnaround time on transcribed results.
  7. Inability to monitor productivity.
  8. No way to get patient data to/from other systems.
  9. Space requirements for film jackets and card files.
  10. Poor ability to record patient allergies.  

Enter the Information Age!

Workflow with a RIS - Radiology Information System

Front Desk

Technologist

Technologist

  1. Intelligent scheduling algorithms
  2. Schedule for multiple sites
  3. Capture patient ADT & Order via HL7
  4. Auto-generate forms
  5. Automatic notification to techs
  6. Worklist of exams to be scheduled
  7. Worklist of exams to be done today
  8. Track patient wait times
  9. Automatic patient alerts

Technologist

Technologist

Technologist

  1. Request Worklist via modality
  2. Select Patient and their order
  3. Perform exam(s) and tweak images
  4. Update RIS order (if needed)
  5. Track start/end time by tech and modality
  6. Identify exams "left open"

Radiologist

Transcriptionist

Transcriptionist

  1. Exams to be performed by radiologist
  2. Exams to be read
  3. Track critical value exams
  4. Track excessive wait for reads
  5. Exams to be approved
  6. Auto-approve normal exams
  7. Auto-FAX approved results

Transcriptionist

Transcriptionist

Transcriptionist

Replaced by Voice Recognition Technology

RIS/PACs Workflow

Radiology Workflow with a Radiology Information System



The RIS radiology information system workflow begins when a referring physician office calls and places an order for an exam(s) for one of their patients.  


The order is typically entered into the Hospital Information System (HIS).  From there, it is automatically sent (via HL7 Interface Engine) to the RIS (radiology information system), PACS, EMR, Voice Recognition and other systems.  


The radiology department calls the patient and using a sophisticated scheduling software, schedules the patient.  


When the patient arrives, they check in at the radiology desk.  The patient then automatically shows up on a Technologist Worklist, thus notifying the techs that a patient is here and waiting.  The RIS monitors the wait time before a tech takes the patient for their exam(s).


The tech performs the exam(s) and then records things like radiation dosage, repeats, inventory items used, etc.


The patient then shows up on the Radiologist Worklist notifying them that there is another exam to be read.


The radiologist reads the exam(s) and dictates into voice recognition software which automatically transcribes the radiologists dictation.  If the site is using transcriptionists, the patient will then automatically show on the transcriptionist worklist to be typed.  


Once it is typed (of if voice recognition is used), the patient will automatically show on the radiologist to be approved worklist.


Once approved by the radiologist, the result will automatically be sent (via HL7 Interface Engine) to the HIS, PACS, EMR, Billing and other systems.  


The result will then automatically be FAXed (or encrypted email) to the referring physician and/or the patient.



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