Turnaround time has quietly become the single most important performance indicator in radiology. Whether it’s an emergency CT, a routine X-ray, or a complex MRI, clinicians expect reports fast—and patients expect answers even faster. But with rising imaging volumes, staffing gaps, and unpredictable caseloads, reducing TAT has become a real challenge for many hospitals and diagnostic centres.
This is where the combination of smart workflow design and the right PACS technology makes a measurable difference. Nandico’s advanced PACS platform brings together tools that help radiologists work faster without compromising the quality or depth of their reporting.
Why TAT Has Become a Critical Metric
Radiology isn’t just another diagnostic department. It is tied directly to clinical decisions in emergency, surgery, oncology, critical care, and routine OPD care. Delays in reporting often lead to:
- Slower treatment initiation
- Longer patient waiting times
- Bottlenecks in emergency rooms
- Frustration for clinicians
- Higher operational costs for centres
In short, faster reporting improves the entire hospital workflow.
How Nandico Helps Cut Turnaround Times
Nandico’s PACS is designed with a practical understanding of how radiologists actually work. The system focuses on eliminating wasted time—those small delays that add up across hundreds of cases. Below are the key strategies that centres use to reduce TAT using Nandico.
1. Instant Image Availability—No Waiting for Uploads or Transfers
One of the biggest delays in traditional PACS setups is the time it takes for studies to move from modalities to radiologists. Nandico has optimised this flow so that scans appear in the dashboard almost immediately after completion.
These benefits:
- Emergency cases
- Trauma and stroke pathways
- High-volume MRI/CT centers
- Multi-location hospital networks
Faster visibility means radiologists can start reading sooner.
2. Intelligent Case Routing to Balance Workload
When multiple radiologists work across different branches, uneven workload distribution becomes a major TAT killer. Nandico solves this with intelligent routing tools:
- Urgent cases move to available radiologists automatically
- Subspecialty cases go to the right experts
- Routine studies are distributed for maximum efficiency
This keeps queues short and prevents “case pileup” at individual workstations.
3. Efficient, Clean, and Distraction-Free Reporting Interface
Radiologists work faster when the interface doesn’t get in their way.
Nandico’s viewer is built around:
- Smooth navigation
- Quick loading of heavy CT/MRI datasets
- Easy-to-access tools for annotations and measurements
- Organized study lists
- Fewer clicks, fewer delays
A clean workspace directly improves reporting speed and accuracy.
4. Ready-to-Use Templates and Structured Reporting
Time saved on typing is time saved on reporting.
Nandico provides:
- Customizable templates
- Standardized report formats
- Pre-filled clinical fields
- Structured reporting for common studies
This cuts down repetitive work and keeps reporting consistent across radiologists.
5. Mobile and Web Access for Faster On-Call Reporting
On-call and emergency reporting often cause night-time delays.
Nandico removes the dependency on physical workstations:
- Radiologists can access images from any device
- Urgent notifications appear instantly
- Preliminary reporting can be done remotely
- Surgeons and clinicians get quicker turnaround at odd hours
This flexibility dramatically reduces TAT during critical situations.
6. Real-Time Collaboration for Complex Cases
Sometimes, complex cases require a second pair of eyes. Traditionally, this slows down reporting because radiologists need to coordinate physically or exchange large files.
Nandico solves this with:
- Case sharing
- Built-in notes
- Internal review requests
- Multi-reader workflow options
Radiologists can collaborate within the same system without losing time.
7. Automated Notifications for Clinicians
Delays happen when clinicians aren’t aware that a report is ready.
Nandico ensures:
- Instant notifications
- Automatic updates
- Real-time status tracking
This helps doctors take decisions faster and keeps the workflow moving.
8. Comprehensive Dashboard to Track Bottlenecks
One of the most underrated contributors to TAT is lack of visibility.
Nandico offers real-time dashboards where administrators can monitor:
- Pending studies
- Priority cases
- Radiologist workload
- Peak hours
- Delays in specific modalities
This helps teams fix bottlenecks before they become serious workflow issues.
The Result: Consistently Faster Reporting Without Increasing Burden
When these strategies come together, radiology departments start seeing:
- Shorter turnaround times
- Improved clinician satisfaction
- Better patient experience
- Higher throughput
- More predictable workflows
Most importantly, radiologists can focus more on diagnosis and less on wrestling with the system.
Final Thought
Cutting TAT isn’t about rushing reports—it’s about removing obstacles.
Nandico’s advanced PACS is designed with practical, real-world radiology challenges in mind, which is why centers using it consistently achieve significantly faster reporting without compromising the quality of interpretation.
FAQs
TAT directly impacts clinical decisions in emergency, surgery, oncology, and routine care. Faster reporting leads to quicker treatment, reduced patient waiting times, and improved hospital workflow.
Nandico PACS provides instant image availability, intelligent case routing, distraction-free reporting interfaces, structured templates, mobile access, real-time collaboration, automated clinician notifications, and dashboards to track bottlenecks.
It automatically distributes cases based on urgency and subspecialty, balancing radiologist workloads and preventing backlog, ensuring faster report completion.
Yes, mobile and web access allows radiologists to review and report studies from any device, enabling faster on-call and emergency reporting.
By reducing delays, providing real-time updates, and streamlining workflows, Nandico PACS improves clinician satisfaction, patient experience, and reporting consistency while allowing radiologists to focus on diagnosis.