5 steps to a better radiology workflow - IBM

5 steps to a better radiology workflow

What should a radiology workflow look like? What workflow improvements can empower reading physicians to be more informed, more efficient and more satisfied?

When radiologists have access to solutions that enable clinical decision support, customizable worklists and pre-populated reporting functions:· They have more time to focus on reading studies· They can make more informed care decisions

through easier access to patient information · They can complete reports and other

administrative tasks more efficiently, allowing them to manage their caseload with less stress and burnout

These five steps illustrate how solutions from IBM Watson Health can provide radiologists with new abilities and tools to improve the entire clinical workflow process.

· Radiologists and techs can access a comprehensive worklist of all the pending patient studies and their current status. The list can be sorted into blocks based on clinical type, urgency or location. A rule-based engine can also automatically assign studies to a specific physician anywhere in the enterprise.

· Once an individual study is selected for review, radiologists can access all patient data and images — including referrer notes, priors and patient information from the EHR — through a single platform, with no additional logins or workstations required.

· In order to harness the scope of patient information locked away in the EHR, reading physicians can use an AI-enabled tool that searches structured and unstructured EHR data and then compiles the information relevant to the current study into a single interface.

01Acquiring patient information and images

02Supporting clinical decisions

· Reports are automatically formatted into customizable forms and templates, which are compliant with standards such as BI-RAD. They are pre-populated with patient information and study results, including measurements taken during the read.

03Clinical reading and interpretation

04Reporting

· While interpreting studies, reading physicians can easily compare current and prior multi-specialty images side-by-side or with an IBM-patented image shuffling tool.

· Reading physicians can search for and evaluate image findings in high precision using 3D visualization and measurement tools such as MPRs, MIPs, vessel analysis/tracking, cardiac calcium scoring and colon analysis.

· Hanging protocols can be established to ensure the right viewer is launched every time, based on clinical preference.

· Reading physicians can share studies securely with other providers within or outside the enterprise, regardless of device or location. They can use instant messaging or a real-time collaboration tool that allows multiple users to consult with peers.

· A separate workflow can be triggered to communicate with the emergency department and enable appropriate follow-up care.

· Lesion measurements can be automatically exported for use in biopsy procedures.

05Peer review and collaboration

Explore how Watson Health solutions can streamline the radiology workflow for your organization. Visit ibm.com/watson-health/imaging

The clinical workflow capabilities described in this guide are references to the following IBM Watson Health solutions: Merge PACS™, Merge Unity™, IBM iConnect® Access, IBM Watson Imaging Patient Synopsis, Merge CADstream®

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