Systems and methods for intelligent radiology work allocation

Abstract

An example system to distribute a medical exam to an examiner includes a first interface to display a medical exam identifier associated with a medical exam stored in a patient record database and an examiner availability indicator to be displayed via the first interface. The examiner availability indicator is to be updated via a second interface. The example system includes an exam allocator to automatically allocate the medical exam to the examiner and an assignment tool to be displayed to a user via the first interface and to facilitate assignment of the allocated exam to the examiner. At least one of the exam allocator or the assignment tool is to be communicatively associated with the examiner availability indicator. Upon assignment of the medical exam to the examiner, the medical exam identifier is displayed in an examiner work queue via the first interface, the second interface, and a third interface.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system to distribute a medical exam to an examiner, the system comprising:
 a first interface to display a medical exam identifier associated with a medical exam stored in a patient record database;   an examiner availability indicator to be displayed via the first interface, wherein the examiner availability indicator is to be updated via a second interface, the second interface to be viewed by the examiner;   an exam allocator to automatically allocate the medical exam to the examiner;   an assignment tool to be displayed to a user via the first interface, the assignment tool to facilitate assignment of the allocated exam to the examiner, wherein at least one of the exam allocator or the assignment tool is to be communicatively associated with the examiner availability indicator; and   an examiner work queue, wherein upon assignment of the medical exam to the examiner, the medical exam identifier is displayed in the examiner work queue via the first interface, the second interface, and a third interface, the third interface to be viewed by a second examiner.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising an examiner scorecard to be displayed via the first interface, the examiner scorecard to display at least one of the examiner work queue or an allocation summary, wherein the medical exam identifier associated with the medical exam automatically allocated by the exam allocator is to be displayed in the allocation summary. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising an exam decision tool to be displayed via the second interface, the exam decision tool to facilitate one of acceptance or rejection by the examiner of the medical exam automatically allocated by the exam allocator. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a profile creator tool to facilitate creation of an examiner profile, wherein the examiner profile is to be created by the examiner via the second interface and selectively displayed via the first interface. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the profile creator tool is to facilitate creation of the examiner profile based on at least one of a specialty of the examiner, a presence of the examiner, or an ability of the examiner to receive the allocated exam. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein a display of the examiner work queue via the first interface is to dynamically update based on a selection of the examiner profile via the first interface. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising an exam status indicator to be displayed to the user via the first interface, the exam status indicator representative of at least one of an allocated exam, an assigned exam, or an accepted exam. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the exam status indicator is to dynamically update upon assignment of the medical exam. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the examiner availability indicator is representative of a remote availability of the examiner, the examiner availability indicator to dynamically update via the second interface to indicate a local availability of the examiner. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein when the examiner availability indicator dynamically updates to indicate a local availability of the examiner, an exam status indicator associated with an exam in the examiner work queue is to automatically update. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising an examiner allocation indicator to be displayed via the first interface and the second interface, the examiner allocation indicator to indicate an ability of the examiner to receive the allocated exam, the examiner allocation indicator to be updated via at least one of the first interface or the second interface. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the exam allocator is to automatically allocate the medical exam to the examiner for review via a fourth interface and wherein the assignment tool is to bypass the examiner work queue. 
     
     
         13 . A method to distribute a medical exam to an examiner, the method comprising:
 retrieving a medical exam identifier associated with a medical exam stored in a patient record database;   processing an examiner availability indicator, wherein the examiner availability indicator is to be updated via a first interface;   displaying the medical exam identifier and the examiner availability indicator via a second interface;   allocating the medical exam to the examiner;   facilitating an assignment of the allocated medical exam to the examiner via the second interface, wherein at least one of allocating the medical exam or facilitating the assignment of the allocated exam is to be based on the examiner availability indicator; and   displaying the medical exam identifier in an examiner work queue upon assignment via the first interface, the second interface, and a third interface, the third interface to be viewed by a second examiner.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 displaying an examiner scorecard via the first interface, the examiner scorecard to display at least one of the examiner work queue or an allocation summary; and   displaying the allocated medical exam identifier in the allocation summary.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 displaying an exam decision tool to via the second interface; and   facilitating one of acceptance or rejection by the examiner of the allocated medical exam via the exam decision tool.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 facilitating creation of an examiner profile, wherein the examiner profile is to be created by the examiner via the second interface; and   selectively displaying the examiner profile via the first interface.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 dynamically updating a display of the examiner work queue via the first interface based on a selection of the examiner profile via the first interface.   
     
     
         18 . A machine readable storage device or disc, containing instructions thereon, which when read cause a machine to at least:
 retrieve a medical exam identifier associated with a medical exam stored in a patient record database;   process an examiner availability indicator, wherein the examiner availability indicator is to be updated via a first interface;   display the medical exam identifier and the examiner availability indicator via a second interface;   allocate the medical exam to the examiner;   facilitate assignment of the allocated medical exam to the examiner via the second interface, wherein at least one of the allocation or the assignment is to be based on the examiner availability indicator; and   display the medical exam identifier in an examiner work queue upon assignment via the first interface, the second interface, and a third interface, the third interface to be viewed by a second examiner.   
     
     
         19 . The machine readable storage device or storage disc of  claim 18 , wherein the instructions cause the machine to:
 display an examiner scorecard via the first interface, the examiner scorecard to display at least one of the examiner work queue or an allocation summary; and   display the allocated medical exam identifier in the allocation summary.   
     
     
         20 . The machine readable storage device or storage disc of  claim 18 , wherein the instructions cause the machine to:
 display an exam decision tool to via the second interface; and   facilitate one of acceptance or rejection by the examiner of the allocated medical exam via the exam decision tool.   
     
     
         21 . The machine readable storage device or storage disc of  claim 18 , wherein the instructions cause the machine to:
 facilitate creation of an examiner profile, wherein the examiner profile is to be created by the examiner via the second interface; and   selectively display the examiner profile via the first interface.   
     
     
         22 . The machine readable storage device or storage disc of  claim 21 , wherein the instructions cause the machine to dynamically update a display of the examiner work queue via the first interface based on a selection of the examiner profile via the first interface.