Key images: Clinical applications

As modalities produce more and more images, key images allow a radiologist to highlight images of interest for a report, conference, printing, and so on. Normally, key images are references to a particular image or frame in the source study. IMPAX does not create a new image when you create a key image. Rather, it builds a link to the image in the source study.

Key images are grouped in containers called key image notes to allow for better organization and easier navigation of the images.

Key images are available in the Image area and the Text area:

Text area—The Key Images area of the report shows the most important images in the study that supports the findings of the report. To make key images available for viewing in the Text area, they must be added to the For Report Attachment key image note.
Key images marked as For Report Attachment are conceptually part of the report. They help you communicate a patient's results to clinicians and other radiologists.
Image area—Key image notes are displayed as series in the Available Series Palette. The key images are shown in groups such as for conference, for report attachment, print, and so on.

Understanding the Text area presentation of key image thumbnails

When you add a key image for report attachment, the thumbnail in the Text area shows all presentation changes, such as markups, that were made on the original image, even those that have not been saved. If you open the same study later, the key image thumbnail shows only the presentation changes that were actually saved.

By default, all markups are shown on the key image thumbnail, even if you have the Image area set to show only your markups or to show no markups on images.

Serving referring physicians and specialists

You can use key images to highlight diagnostically relevant images. Navigating through prior studies to view significant findings is time consuming. But with key images, identified by the diagnostician, this time is greatly reduced. Referring physicians can use the key images to quickly identify the highlights of the exam and use them during patient consultation. Specialists can use them to jump quickly to the relevant areas of the study during conferencing or rounds.

Optimizing collaborations with other radiologists

If you are looking at a particularly complex study, you can use key images area to indicate the relevant parts of the study before conferring with another radiologist.