UCSF performs over 300,000 imaging studies annually. UCSF Radiology has been invested in innovation, and digital transformation with a rich history dating back over 20 years. We are continuing this trend by driving toward improving patient access through improved scheduling processes and access to imaging studies.

Currently, scheduling of imaging studies requires several phone calls between patients, clinic staff, and schedulers, an often frustrating and time-consuming process which is ripe for digital transformation. We aim to improve patient experience through an online scheduling portal, beginning with a subset of imaging exams such as outpatient CT. We intend to create a process that is similar to booking an airline flight from an app. Much like other areas of digital transformation success requires work across UCSF teams, including: clinical systems, radiology operations, and informatics. We will describe our proposed technical solution, including web service integrations with APeX to define exam appropriate schedule availability, and book slots through our independent web application.

With the arrival of MyChart - patients are now able to access the text of their radiology reports easily through the web. However, viewing their images has historically required a trip to the imaging library to have a CD burned, which is a time consuming and inconvenient process. In addition, the viewer application contained on the CD is complex and patient-user challenging. We are working to improve the patient experience by adding a simple radiology viewer to MyChart, so that patients have the ability to view their imaging studies within a web browser without the need for additional software installation or expertise. Our presentation will cover some of the challenges of working with medical image data, the security and architecture necessary to provide access in a secure fashion that respects privacy.

Slides: https://ucsf.box.com/s/qwa7p2arml2k3lfreecpz0feo97hhkov (MyAccess login required)