Frequently Asked Questions:

What is Scanslated?

Scanslated is a software service that transforms radiology reports into a patient-friendly interactive format. Plain language explanations and diagrams are automatically embedded throughout the original report to help patients understand the medical terminology. Patients simply click or tap on underlined words to see explanations and diagrams alongside the original report text.

How do patients access the patient-friendly report?

Scanslated is fully integrated with Royal Health’s patient interface.  Patients need only click the “view report” button in the Royal portal, and the interactive report is generated on-demand in 1-2 seconds. No additional sign in, sign up, or authentication steps are needed.

Does Scanslated change, re-word or paraphrase the radiology report?

No.  Scanslated does not change the original text of the radiology report.  The patient will still see the original report in its entirety, exactly as dictated by the radiologist.  With Scanslated, patients will see definitions and diagrams alongside the original report as they read.

Where do the patient-friendly explanations come from?

Scanslated has developed a one-of-a-kind proprietary content library with plain language definitions for over 11,000 radiology terms and phrases in both English and Spanish.  Explanations are written by board-certified radiologists specifically for a patient audience, targeting a 6th-7th grade reading level.  Many definitions are accompanied by a patient-friendly illustration or diagram to provide additional context.

How do you keep the content up to date?

Scanslated’s team of board-certified radiologists is continuously adding new definitions and diagrams to expand our content library.  Because the patient-friendly report is created on-demand in real time, patients always see the most up-to-date content.

Does Scanslated use AI?  How accurate is the translation?

Scanslated uses a combination of natural language processing (NLP) and deep learning to provide your patients with a novel report-viewing experience.  Our NLP algorithms identify terms and phrases throughout the radiology report and embed matching educational definitions. We use deep learning in the background to detect report type (modality, anatomy) and drive context-specific content and individualized diagrams.  Scanslated does not ‘re-interpret’ or summarize the report, which means patients will only see definitions for the exact words and phrases that the radiologist used. Our goal is not to replace the report, but rather to enhance the patient experience by demystifying the medical language.

Do radiologists need to make any changes to their workflow?

No.  Radiologists do not change their workflow in any way.  Scanslated processes the radiology report after it is finalized by the radiologist, so there are no upstream workflow changes needed.

How long does it take for Scanslated to generate the patient-friendly report?

Reports are generated and displayed on demand in 1-2 seconds. Patients open and view the Scanslated report from within the Royal Health portal.

What work is needed from our IT staff to implement Scanslated at our facilities?

None.  Scanslated is fully integrated with the Royal Health platform, and patient-friendly reports can simply be ‘turned on’.  Any necessary configuration or customization is completed by Royal Health and Scanslated.

Is it possible to customize a plain-language explanation specifically for our practice?

Yes, Scanslated’s content library can be customized for an individual client as needed. Definitions can be added, removed, or edited. However, because the definitions are meant to be educational and are not replacing the radiologist’s words, requests to change definitions are uncommon.

Can we add hyperlinks to drive traffic to our own patient resources?

Yes, custom hyperlinks can be added to specific report types (e.g., screening mammograms) or to specific term/phrase definitions to drive traffic to internal resources.  For example, the definition for “the breast tissue is extremely dense” could display a custom link to client-hosted information about screening ultrasound. It is also possible to display a custom message at the top or bottom of reports.  These customizations are optional but can be a great way to leverage patient engagement with the interactive report.

Does Scanslated work for all reports or only certain types of imaging?

Scanslated is available for all imaging modalities and exam types.  Once Scanslated is turned on, all radiology results in the Royal Health portal will be available in the interactive patient-friendly format.

What information does Scanslated need and what does Scanslated do with the information?

Scanslated receives the free-text radiology report and associated metadata.  We use information such as patient age and birth sex to inform display logic for certain content.  Scanslated does not sell data to any 3rd parties.

Does Scanslated provide patient-engagement data?

Yes. Scanslated will provide patient engagement metrics including number of reports viewed, average viewing time, number of patient-friendly explanations accessed, age distribution, and patient feedback.  Patients have the option to answer feedback questions and/or leave a comment from within the interactive report view. Feedback questions are customizable.

What if the patient still has questions about their report after viewing the plain language explanations?

Scanslated is not intended to replace the doctor-patient relationship, but rather to enhance it by giving patients the knowledge and confidence to have a meaningful follow up conversation with their doctor.  Many Scanslated patients report that they feel better prepared to talk with their doctor about next steps.

Should we expect more phone calls from patients to our imaging centers?

No, none of our clients have reported an increase in patient calls.  In fact, some imaging centers have seen a dramatic decrease in report-related calls and requests after making reports available via Scanslated.