Systems and methods to optimize radiology exam distribution

Abstract

Example methods, systems, and computer readable media are disclosed to allocate a medical exam. An example method includes identifying an exam characteristic associated with the medical exam. The example method includes determining a plurality of allocation scores for a plurality of radiologists by comparing the exam characteristic to a radiologist characteristic for each of the plurality of radiologists. The example method includes determining one of the plurality of allocation scores with a highest value. The example method includes allocating the medical exam to one of the plurality of radiologists associated with the one of the plurality of allocation scores with the highest value. The example method includes marking the medical exam as allocated to the one of the plurality of radiologists associated with the one of the plurality of allocation scores with the highest value. The example method includes providing an indication that the medical exam is allocated via a graphical user interface.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system comprising a processor configured to implement:
 an exam distributor to:
 identify a characteristic of a medical exam; 
 allocate the exam to a first radiologist based on the exam characteristic and a radiologist characteristic for the first radiologist; 
 detect a status of a wait flag associated with the first radiologist, the status of the wait flag to be based on a user input received via a first graphical user interface; 
 monitor a first work queue associated with the first radiologist; and 
 automatically deliver the medical exam to the first work queue or a second work queue for a second radiologist based on the status of the wait flag and the monitoring of the first work queue, the first work queue and the second work queue to be displayed via the first graphical user interface. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the exam distributor is to verify the delivery of the medical exam to the second radiologist based on a priority rule for the exam. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein exam distributor is to monitor an availability of the first radiologist based on the wait flag. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the exam distributor is to automatically adjust a placement of the medical exam in the first work queue relative to a second medical exam in the first work queue based on the availability of the first radiologist. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the exam distributor is to monitor the first work queue relative to at least one of a first work queue threshold for the first radiologist or a second work queue threshold for the second radiologist. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the exam distributor is to select the first work queue or the second work queue to receive the medical exam based on a threshold review time for the medical exam. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the exam distributor is to display the first queue or the second queue via a second graphical user interface to be viewed by the one of the first radiologist or the second radiologist. 
     
     
         8 . A method comprising:
 identifying, by executing an instruction with a processor, a characteristic of a medical exam;   allocating, by executing an instruction with the processor, the exam to a first radiologist based on the exam characteristic and a radiologist characteristic for the first radiologist;   detecting, by executing an instruction with the processor, a status of a wait flag associated with the first radiologist, the status of the wait flag to be based on a user input received via a first graphical user interface;   monitoring, by executing an instruction with the processor, a first work queue associated with the first radiologist; and   automatically delivering, by executing an instruction with the processor, the medical exam to the first work queue or a second work queue for a second radiologist based on the status of the wait flag and the monitoring of the first work queue, the first work queue and the second work queue to be displayed via the first graphical user interface.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further including verifying the delivery of the medical exam to the second radiologist based on a priority rule for the exam. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , further including monitoring an availability of the first radiologist based on the wait flag. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , further including automatically adjusting a placement of the medical exam in the first work queue relative to a second medical exam in the first work queue based on the availability of the first radiologist. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8 , further including monitoring the first work queue relative to at least one of a first work queue threshold for the first radiologist or a second work queue threshold for the second radiologist. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further including selecting the first work queue or the second work queue to receive the medical exam based on a threshold review time for the medical exam. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 8 , further including displaying the first queue or the second queue via a second graphical user interface to be viewed by the one of the first radiologist or the second radiologist. 
     
     
         15 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to at least:
 identify a characteristic of a medical exam;   allocate the exam to a first radiologist based on the exam characteristic and a radiologist characteristic for the first radiologist;   detect a status of a wait flag associated with the first radiologist, the status of the wait flag to be based on a user input received via a first graphical user interface;   monitor a first work queue associated with the first radiologist; and   automatically deliver the medical exam to the first work queue or a second work queue for a second radiologist based on the status of the wait flag and the monitoring of the first work queue, the first work queue and the second work queue to be displayed via the first graphical user interface.   
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein the instructions further cause the machine to verify the delivery of the medical exam to the second radiologist based on a priority rule for the exam. 
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein the instructions further cause the machine to monitor an availability of the first radiologist based on the wait flag. 
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein the instructions further cause the machine to automatically adjust a placement of the medical exam in the first work queue relative to a second medical exam in the first work queue based on the availability of the first radiologist. 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein the instructions further cause the machine to monitor the first work queue relative to at least one of a first work queue threshold for the first radiologist or a second work queue threshold for the second radiologist. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein the instructions further cause the machine to display the first queue or the second queue via a second graphical user interface to be viewed by the one of the first radiologist or the second radiologist.