Importance and Role of Workflow Assistance

“Workflow, loosely defined, is the set of tasks—grouped chronologically into processes—and the set of people or resources needed for those tasks, that are necessary to accomplish a given goal. An organization’s workflow is comprised of the set of processes it needs to accomplish, the set of people or other resources available to perform those processes, and the interactions among them.” 1 (Organizational Workflow and Its Impact on Work Quality.)

Rad Assistant, Helpdesk, Workflow Coordinator, Solutions Center…they go by many names but the role they play in any teleradiology company is important. Everything they do is to help the radiologist achieve the best possible outcome for the patient.

The primary responsibility of a workflow assistant is to make sure everything operates in a smooth, consistent, organized manner. They are tasked with preparing the studies to be read by the radiologists, monitoring incoming studies, ensuring the radiologists have all the necessary information such as history and relevant prior studies for comparison, answering phones, making calls to alert the provider of an urgent finding… but it doesn’t end there.

They are your front line; the first voice a client hears when they are calling our company. They are liaisons between the hospital/urgent care staff and the radiologist. They interact with customers to provide information in response to inquiries about reports and resolve or escalate any customer concerns. They often have to juggle many tasks at once with urgency and great attention to detail always keeping in mind that patient care is top priority.

At the end of the day it is a very rewarding job knowing that you indirectly had an opportunity to help take care of patients.