• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
RamSoft logo

RamSoft Inc. Healthcare IT

Radiology Software for RIS, PACS, DICOM, and Workflow Solutions

  • en_US
  • es_ES
  • pt_BR
  • About
  • Events
  • Media
  • Services
  • Community
  • Search
  • (888) 343-9146
  • Products
    • Product Links
      Menu Icon Ris Pacs RIS & PACS Software
      Menu Icon Viewers Mini PACS
      mammo software icon Mammography Software
      Menu Icon Vna DICOM Router VNA
      Menu Icon Features Features
    • Products Description
      Developed around our powerful workflow engine, we offer RIS/PACS, Cloud PACS and VNA solutions that continuously evolve and adapt to your needs.

      View All Products

  • Pricing
  • Solutions
    • Solutions Links
      Workflow Icon 7 Workflow
      Menu Icon User Type User Role
      Menu Icon Provider Practice/Facility Type
      Coronavirus Diagnostic imaging Toolkit
    • Solution Description
      Looking for a new product or an upgrade, explore how our radiology software solutions are designed to fit your practice and role in the industry.

      View All Solutions

  • Platform
    • Platform Links
      Icon Cloud Only Cloud
      Icon Database Red Dataflow
      Deployment Red Deployment
      Icon Security Red Security
    • Platform Description
      RamSoft is future-proofing your Radiology practice. Learn how.

      Platform Overview

  • Support
    • Support Links
      Menu Icon Community Community Portal
      Menu Icon E Learning e-Learning
      Menu Icon Contact Contact Support
      Menu Icon Resources Resources
    • Support Description
      RamSoft is dedicated to making your experience with each of our radiology software solutions a positive one. Available 24/7.

      View All Support

  • About Us
    • Quality Assurance
    • Management Team
    • Distributors
    • Careers
  • Events
  • Media
  • Community
  • Services
    • Pre-Installation Services
    • Post-Installation Services
    • Integration Services
    • Interoperability

Optimize Your Radiology Workflow In 4 Easy Steps

April 9, 2015

In today’s healthcare environment of declining reimbursements, increased scrutiny by compliance bodies, and growth of outside competition, it has never been more important than now for a radiology practice to maintain operational efficiency.  Whether you have your Six Sigma Green Belt certification or not, this can be done by conducting regular reviews of departmental processes in your practice.  Successful radiology practices have embraced the idea of continual improvement to ensure that they are operating at the “top of their game”.

Here are four steps your organization can follow to optimize your radiology workflow:

  1. Observe and record your organization’s “touch points” in chronological order

Nurse And Patient Conversing At Reception Desk“Touch points” are defined as human to human, human to system, or system to system interactions.  Start by capturing each department in a step by step list.

Capture each step that occurs from the time a referring physician requests an imaging examination for a new patient.    Make sure you capture the specifics of each workflow step.  For example, the following would be considered four (4) “touch points”: Front desk staff completes patient registration information, creates the appointment for the appropriate imaging order, scans in paper based request, and notifies the patient via phone.

  1. Create flowcharts to visualize your findings

3D swimlaneFlowcharts will allow your organization to evaluate the part of your workflow that crosses departments.  Swim lane flow charts are a common type that is used.

In the accompanying example, the vertical direction or swim lane represents an organizational role involved in the overall process. Arrows between the lanes represent how information or material is passed between the subprocess roles.

Do not forget to include your systems to system “touch points” in this evaluation.  An example would be “RIS system sends HL7 Order Message to PACS environment”.

  1. Identify opportunities for improvement.

Medical Team Discussing Treatment Options With PatientsThrough the involvement of your staff, vendor partners, and industry peers, identify the areas where your organization could make changes that improve patient satisfaction, reduce operational cost, and fully utilize your current technology investments.

Prior to implementing any changes be sure to contact your technology vendors to see if they are leveraging the full capabilities of their system.  In addition, find out what features are being added in the newer releases.

For example, would your current system allow your practice to eliminate the need for paper based patient forms by implementing an electronic document workflow?  This would result in a reduced cost on printing and paper supply, in addition to streamlining workflow, because all documents are available online.

  1. Prioritize and start implementing

Time managementPossible changes should be prioritized by evaluating variables like cost, time, required resources, and risk, to name a few.  By evaluating each with the same set of variables, your organization is able to make an informed decision.  Develop a plan, set dates, and follow up check points and you are on your way.

The end goal of this entire process is to make your organization nimble and sustain its presence in the market.  Winston Churchill, in a just a few words, captured the spirit, “To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often”.

Disclaimer:
All content provided on this blog is for informational purposes only. The owner of this blog makes no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this site or found by following any link on this site. The owner will not be liable for any errors or omissions in this information nor for the availability of this information. The owner will not be liable for any losses, injuries, or damages from the display or use of this information. These terms and conditions of use are subject to change at any time and without notice.

request a demo and quote

Share This Article

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: radiology workflow

live chat Live Chat X
Support
Support Offline
Sales
Sales Offline

Footer

Check us out on social media!

  • Our Solutions
  • Product Support
  • Community Portal
  • Contact Us
  • Report Security Concerns
  • Anonymous Feedback
  • Phone: +1 (888) 343-9146

RamSoft, Inc. reserves the right to make changes to specifications and features contained herein or discontinue the product described without notice or obligation.

© 2021 RamSoft, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy & Terms of Use & Cookies Policy

 

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Non-necessary

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.

SAVE & ACCEPT