What is imaging center front-office automation?

Imaging center front-office automation is the work of turning a referral into a booked, prepared visit without retyping it into the RIS. Chalice is that layer. The entries below are the terms that work uses.

A queue of arriving orders beside one open case.

Prior authorization

A payer’s decision, before the examination, that it will consider a study for payment. Chalice tracks whether it is required, its status, and the date it expires. Chalice does not decide medical necessity.

Radiology benefit manager

An organization a payer uses to process imaging authorizations. Coordinators already working with a benefit manager can keep that path. Sending authorizations from Chalice is on the roadmap.

HL7 ORM and SIU

HL7 v2 message types. An ORM carries an order. An SIU carries scheduling information. Using them with a center’s RIS is a connection to validate, not a live interface claimed for every vendor.

IDTF

Independent diagnostic testing facility. A freestanding imaging center that performs studies and bills the technical component. Chalice is aimed at that front office and at outpatient imaging departments with the same referral problem.

Technical and professional components

The technical component is the scan itself. The professional component is the radiologist’s interpretation. Chalice schedules the technical visit. It does not produce or bill the professional read.

MRI safety screening

Questions about implants, devices, and other risks, answered before an MRI. Chalice can collect the answers. A technologist reviews them. A completed form is not a clearance.

Good Faith Estimate

A cost estimate given to a patient in advance under federal surprise-billing rules. Delivering Good Faith Estimates and ABNs from Chalice is on the roadmap, not a current feature.