A radiology decision tree is a guided workflow that helps healthcare staff determine the right imaging procedure, protocol, and preparation for each patient case. It transforms what’s often a complex, error-prone process—selecting between CT, MRI, ultrasound, or X-ray - into a structured, rule-based system that ensures every order follows clinical and operational best practices.
Within the decision tree, schedulers or providers answer a series of prompts such as the patient’s condition, referring department, body area, contrast needs, and payer requirements. Each answer dynamically guides them to the correct imaging test, protocol, and pre-authorization steps. This reduces duplicate or inappropriate scans, minimizes patient risk, and helps radiology departments use equipment more efficiently.
When built with PixieBrix, a radiology decision tree lives directly inside the browser - over your existing EHR or Radiology Information System (RIS). That means no new system to learn, no integrations to maintain. Your team can standardize complex decision-making in real time, across every location and modality, leading to faster scheduling, better data accuracy, and safer imaging outcomes.
Radiology scheduling and order entry are among the most error-prone steps in patient care. A single incorrect selection - wrong modality, missing contrast flag, or incomplete pre-authorization - can delay care, waste imaging resources, or trigger compliance issues.
A radiology decision tree brings structure and intelligence to this process. By guiding staff through each ordering rule and eligibility check, it ensures consistency across modalities and departments. Clinics can enforce the right imaging logic for every patient scenario - without adding complexity to their existing systems.
Incorrect Modality Selection
Staff may confuse CT, MRI, or ultrasound requirements, especially when order names overlap.
Missed Pre-Authorization Steps
Insurance and payer rules often differ by exam type and patient condition, causing delays or denials.
Inconsistent Protocols Between Sites
Multi-location imaging centers often follow slightly different procedures, creating quality and documentation gaps.
Communication Gaps Between Teams
Schedulers, technologists, and radiologists work across multiple systems - making it easy for details like contrast type or fasting requirements to slip through.
High Rescan Rates
Inaccurate orders or missing prep instructions lead to wasted imaging time and increased patient radiation exposure.
How PixieBrix helps: The Radiology Decision Tree embeds all your workflow logic into a single, guided interface - reducing variability, improving compliance, and ensuring every scan request is correct from the start.
The Radiology Decision Tree Template built with PixieBrix allows your team to standardize radiology orders and scheduling directly inside existing EHRs or RIS platforms.
When schedulers or ordering clinicians use the decision tree, they’re prompted to confirm key details:
Each step follows structured logic, automatically directing the user to the correct exam code, pre-check protocol, or required documentation. The workflow overlays directly on systems like Epic Radiant, Cerner, or Merge RIS - with no API integration required.
PixieBrix runs inside your existing scheduling platform or EHR, guiding staff without needing to open another window or toggle between systems.
The tree helps staff identify the correct visit type, appointment length, and required provider qualifications - based on reason for visit and clinic rules.
Use PixieBrix’s no-code builder to define workflows for new visits, follow-ups, telehealth, or specialty consults. You can update rules as protocols change.
Trigger actions like:
Reduce rework and rescheduling by guiding staff to the right booking every time.
Track how often scheduling errors occur and which flows are used most. Use the data to improve training and reduce call center load.
From small clinics to large networks, PixieBrix helps standardize scheduling logic while allowing customization per site or specialty.
List your standard radiology orders, contraindications, and prep rules. Identify what information must be confirmed for each modality.
Add the PixieBrix extension, open your scheduling or ordering system, and load the Radiology Decision Tree Template.
Adapt the tree’s branches to your facility’s workflows - modality selection, contrast rules, and payer pre-checks.
Auto-populate order fields, attach required documentation, or trigger pre-authorization portals from within the tree.
Run through use cases with schedulers, technologists, and radiologists. Validate that orders are consistent and data entry is complete.
Monitor error rates, rescan frequency, and scheduling turnaround time to quantify improvement.
Prevent misbooked exams by embedding verification logic for modality, laterality, and contrast requirements.
Eliminate back-and-forth between scheduling, technologists, and insurance teams - reducing delays and improving daily scan volume.
Prompt users for required pre-authorization fields and documentation, ensuring consistent payer compliance.
Provide consistent prep instructions to patients and technologists by standardizing fields across every scheduling workflow.
Standardize radiology protocols across multiple locations, reducing variation and improving quality assurance metrics.
PixieBrix runs in the browser, layering over your existing RIS or EHR - no integration projects, no downtime.
Radiology coordinators used the PixieBrix decision tree to align CT and MRI ordering workflows across three hospital sites.
A diagnostic imaging group integrated the template into their RIS to verify contrast requirements and payer pre-authorization automatically.
Remote physicians used the decision tree during virtual consults to select appropriate imaging orders by region and payer.
Radiology teams depend on precision, and PixieBrix delivers it - by embedding decision logic directly into existing systems. You can standardize complex workflows across locations and modalities while keeping staff in the interfaces they already use.
Because PixieBrix runs entirely in the browser, updates and new rules take minutes - not months - to deploy. The result is a radiology department that’s faster, safer, and more compliant.
PixieBrix transforms radiology scheduling from reactive to proactive - ensuring every scan starts right.
A radiology decision tree is a guided workflow that helps staff determine the correct imaging exam, protocol, and pre-checks for each patient scenario.
Yes. PixieBrix runs in the browser and overlays directly on systems like Epic, Cerner, or Merge RIS - no backend integration required.
Absolutely. You can build branching logic for allergies, prior reactions, pregnancy status, and contrast eligibility.
Most facilities can configure and deploy within 1-3 days, depending on workflow complexity.
Yes. It operates within your browser session and inherits your existing EHR’s security and compliance controls. No PHI is transmitted externally.
