Radiology Information System (RIS)

At Independent Physicians Medical Center we pride ourselves on the fact that we are a digital office. In fact, we have virtually eliminated paper use. Not only is it great for the environment, but the impact it has on our efficiency, convenience to patients and doctors, quality of care and turnaround time is phenomenal. All this is the result of a wonderful thing called RIS.

Radiology information system, or RIS for short, is essentially a database of patient information. Imagine a patient chart that is accessible from any computer (provided you have access, of course. We take HIPPA very seriously!). Every prescription, insurance card, outside report, blood work result, insurance authorization, etc. scanned in. All the studies the patient ever had at our office are in one place and all the images and reports are accessible at any time, from any place. We provide access for referring physicians so they can access any study they wrote a prescription for, instantly.

Also, because the images from all our studies are digital they are all accessible through RIS, so when we give the patients their films in slide or CD form, the original file always stays in the IPMC database.

Another advantage is that this database also contains the scheduling system so whenever a patient is scheduled for a procedure, one click on the appointment link allows the technologist, staff, or radiologist to see the whole patient chart. This not only makes it convenient for all involved, but lessens the chances of human error.

Everything from scheduling an appointment to billing is done through one system and when the report is complete it is automatically faxed to the referring physician plus to any doctors that the patient requests.

We know that being on the cutting edge of technology requires constant work, learning and updating. We also know that the benefits it brings to our patients are immeasurable.