User Workflow Guides

In general, there are two scenarios a typical user follows when interacting with SynComm:

  • Scenario 1: User opens Synapse PACS and selects a study to launch images. Pulse opens automatically to the Current Study tab with the study displayed.

    Note: Pulse opens automatically if the TcpListener is installed on the user's machine. For more information, see Pulse Installation.

    This scenario typically occurs when a user wants to view or add new ‘communication’ information to the current study. Within Pulse, the user has access to the Current Study tab as well as awareness to enterprise workflows for Tasks and Findings. Users may choose to ‘follow’ patients to add them to the Patient tab for quick recall. The Recent Studies tab also provides quick recall of studies the user has recently viewed within Synapse PACS. From Pulse, users may launch images, view reports, view PACS documents, initiate chat messages, and take actions to close or respond to Findings and Tasks.

    • ED Physician opens images and adds an ED Finding in Pulse
    • A Radiologist later reviews the study and enters a response to the ED Finding, indicating that they agree or disagree with initial ED Finding
    • ED staff engage the Findings tab via Pulse to acknowledge ‘disagree’ responses
  • Scenario 2: User opens Pulse independent of PACS by clicking either a desktop shortcut or the TcpListener icon from the system tray. Pulse opens to the Recent Studies tab.

    This scenario typically occurs when a user comes ‘on shift’ and wants to see what is outstanding or needs attention. By opening Pulse, user has access to Tasks, Findings, and Patients they are following. Users may launch images, view reports, view PACS documents, initiate chat messages, and take actions to close or respond to Findings and Tasks.

    • Radiologists monitor tasks to see which reports need to be called to ordering physicians
    • ED Physicians monitor Findings to review and respond to discrepancies noted by Radiologists

Once Pulse is open, a user interacts with the study – based on the user privileges granted – by using the tools located on the tabs in Pulse.

The user interacts with the current study on this tab and manages Peer Reviews, Findings (ED and Urgent), QA Notes, Tasks, and Study Notes. This tab provides:

  • Comprehensive list of all communication activities for the specific study
  • In sync with the current active study displayed in the Synapse PACS viewer

This tab provides a list of the last 20 studies the user has accessed (loading the study data into the Current Study tab), with the most recently viewed study placed at the top of the list.

Selecting a patient name expands to display the study details.

Users have quick access to launch:

  • Additional patient info
  • Additional study info
  • Images
  • Reports (if available)
  • Follow/Unfollow patients

Indicators also let the user know if there are any Findings or ED Findings stored (and possibly needing attention).

This tab provides:

  • A list of all patients being followed by the user, with quick access to each patient’s full exam history in Synapse PACS
  • An indicator on the tab displays the number of patients the user is currently following
  • Indicators if there are any Findings or ED Findings stored (and possibly needing attention)

Selecting a patient name expands to display the study details.

Users have quick access to launch:

  • Additional patient info
  • Additional study info
  • Images
  • Reports (if available)
  • Follow/Unfollow patients

This tab provides:

  • A list of all open tasks the user is following
  • An indicator on the tab displays the number of open tasks the user is currently following

Tasks are grouped by type. Selecting the type name expands to display the study details.

Users may perform tasks directly from this tab.

Users have quick access to launch:

  • Additional patient info
  • Additional study info
  • Images
  • Reports (if available)
  • Follow/Unfollow patients

This tab contains Findings that require escalation and action or closure, and provides:

  • ED Finding count is the first number in the tab indicator; displays only if the user is granted privilege to participate with the workflow
  • Finding (aka Urgent Findings) count is the second number in the tab indicator; displays the number of open findings the user is currently following

Findings are grouped by type. Selecting a type name expands to display the study details.

Users may close or respond to findings directly from this tab.

Users have quick access to launch:

  • Additional patient info
  • Additional study info
  • Images
  • Reports (if available)
  • Follow/Unfollow patients

Users can communicate with other Synapse PACS users who are actively logged into Pulse by using the Chat function ().

For more information, see Using Chat.

The following legend provides the icons that might be encountered within Pulse.

Gender – female
Gender – male
Patient info (medical record number, date of birth, and age)
Study info (procedure, siteID, primary location, current location, reason, and comments - if available)
Follow patient (adds the patient to the Patients tab)
Unfollow patient (removes the patient from the Patients tab)
View images (launches Synapse image viewer. When using Chat, select to send the image link)
View report (displays the Radiology report - if available)
View documents (displays list of all documents scanned into Synapse PACS)
Task – open
Task – closed
(Urgent) Finding – open
(Urgent) Finding – closed
ED Finding – needs response
ED Finding – needs acknowledgment
ED Finding – acknowledged
QA note
Study note
Elapsed time since item was added (i.e., Finding, ED Findings, Task); Text is displayed in red if item is ‘open’
Chat (select to view available users online and initiate chat messages)
Chat indicator (user is online and available, initiate a chat by selecting this icon)
Contact info (hover over to view phone and pager numbers - available if stored in SWAT)
Access Pulse Settings

Workflows

Users might perform the following workflows:

General workflows

Role-based workflows