Radiology Workflow

Overview

Radiology in NICE HMS uses the same ServiceRequest / DiagnosticReport workflow as laboratory services. There is no separate "Radiology" sidebar menu — imaging orders, result entry, and billing all flow through the same pages as other diagnostic services. The difference is in configuration: radiology tests use category "Radiology" and typically use the Document (Doc) scale type for narrative imaging reports.

See Laboratory Workflow for the full ServiceRequest to DiagnosticReport flow — this page focuses on what is specific to radiology.

Configuring Radiology Tests

Radiology tests are configured in Admin → Service Request Masters, the same as lab tests. See Laboratory Workflow for the complete form reference.

Key settings for radiology:

Setting	Radiology Value
Category	Radiology
Scale Type	Document (Doc) — imaging reports are narrative, not numeric
After Billing	Set to TRUE to require billing before the report can be created
Sale Price	Price of the imaging procedure

Common radiology tests configured this way: X-Ray (Chest PA, Abdomen, Extremities), Ultrasound (Abdomen, Pelvis, KUB, Obstetric), CT (Brain, Chest, Abdomen, Spine), MRI (Brain, Spine, Joints), Mammography, and Doppler studies.

Creating a Radiology Order

Radiology orders are created as Service Requests from the same entry points as lab tests:

Entry Point	Path
Billing page	Patient Dashboard → Billing → Lab & Services Billing → Create
Services Console	Sidebar → Patient → Services → Services Panel

When filling the Service Request form:

Category defaults to "Laboratory procedure" — change to the appropriate category if needed
Services — select the configured radiology tests
Note — add clinical history and the specific question to be answered (e.g., "R/O pneumothorax," "Trauma — rule out fracture")

The form, post-creation links (Report, Invoice, Specimen), and the afterBilling gate work the same as lab — see the Laboratory Workflow Service Request section.

Result Entry (Radiology Reports)

Access: Service Request form → Click Here to Report

Radiology tests use the Document (Doc) scale type, which provides a TinyMCE rich text editor instead of numeric value fields. This is where the radiologist writes the narrative report.

Report Writing Tools

Tool	Function
TinyMCE Editor	Full rich text editor for structured reports (findings, impression, recommendations)
Templates	Load pre-written report templates from a dropdown (e.g., normal chest X-ray template)
Editor Shortcuts	Pre-configured text expansions for common phrases
Abbreviation Expansion	Auto-expands medical abbreviations
Dictaphone	Voice-to-text button to dictate findings directly into the editor
Generate Report	AI-assisted generation: the AI takes the report template plus dictated/transcribed findings and fills the template sections with structured clinical content

Report Structure

A typical radiology report follows this structure (configurable via templates):

Clinical History — from the service request notes
Technique — imaging modality, views, contrast (if used)
Findings — descriptive findings from the images
Impression — summary diagnosis or differential
Recommendations — further imaging, clinical correlation, follow-up

Report Finalization and Delivery

After saving, the report can be printed (PDF in browser) or sent to the patient via WhatsApp. When the status is set to "final," the ServiceRequest is auto-completed and the report is pushed to ABDM (if configured).

The printed report includes the organization's Report Header letterhead image and the radiologist's Signature (if uploaded). See Printing and Letter Pad Header.

Billing

Radiology charges follow the same billing flow as other diagnostic services:

Charges are added to the patient's bill via the invoice system
Pricing is per-test from the configured Sale Price
The afterBilling gate on the test configuration controls whether the report can be written before billing

FAQ

Q: Is there a separate Radiology module or sidebar menu? A: Not currently. Radiology uses the same Service Request and Diagnostic Report pages as laboratory services. The "Radiology Console" is planned but not yet implemented.

Q: How do I upload DICOM files or images? A: Images can be attached as part of the diagnostic report. Large files are stored in Google Cloud Storage and linked to the patient record.

Q: Can I use AI to generate radiology reports? A: Yes. Document-type observations include a Generate Report button that uses AI to fill the report template from dictated or transcribed findings.

Q: Does NICE HMS integrate with PACS? A: PACS integration is planned for a future release. Currently, images are uploaded directly through the diagnostic report interface.