Emergency study workflow: The patient’s view

At its simplest, a workflow is a sequence of events, initiated by a trigger event, such as when a study is scheduled. For a patient, an emergency study workflow begins when he arrives at the hospital with a complaint, continues through the examination and diagnosis process, and ends with a follow-up visit to his family physician.

The following topics outline a typical, simplified workflow for an emergency study from the patient's perspective:

1. Pre-acquisition

2. Acquisition

3. Reporting

4. Results distribution