Digital medical imaging systems have completely changed the ways that hospitals, imaging centers and other medical facilities handle their imaging needs; they allow medical offices to quickly and efficiently acquire, view, distribute and archive their patients' digital medical images.
This work is typically handled by some type of image capture system that incorporates all of the different medical modalities used to take medical digital images.
These systems can include CR (computed radiography) x-ray images, CT (computed tomography), mammography, positron emission tomography (PET), ultrasound and others.
Once the image has been acquired and translated into the medical imaging format known as DICOM, it can then be read and handled in a variety of ways by a PACS appliance or a digital imaging viewer, and this is where the modality worklist can come into play.
A modality worklist not only improves medical office productivity, it also improves data accuracy by catching mistakes before they occur.
The modality, in a digital format, uses a work list to get patient information, such as the exams that are scheduled, so that the patient data does not need to be retyped by hand.
This speeds up administrative tasks each time a patient record is processed, and these savings are increase exponentially as a large number of studies are prepared throughout the day.
Modality worklists make the entire digital imaging system more efficient while eliminating typographical errors and automating repetitive tasks.
Another function that correlates to the worklist is that of MPPS, or Modality Performed Procedure Step.
In essence, each modality can prepare and send a report each time it's used.
The information produced can include the start and end times for the study, if a dose of medicine was delivered to the patient and how much, as well as information gathered through the process of image acquisition.
These types of reports help administrators know exactly how each modality is being used as well as how often, and it automates and streamlines the process of digital image storage to servers.
Any steps that can be taken to streamline the routine and repetitive tasks that must be accomplished throughout the day in a busy hospital or medical center helps to save time and money while allowing the physicians to see more patients and provide better patient care overall.