Karisma now has the configuration available to automatically insert the correct report template when a reporter opens a new study, based on the service types on that report. This closes one of those small workflow gaps that compounds quietly across a full day of reporting.
This article covers how templates are linked to service types, what happens with multi-service reports, how the sonographer reporting workflow fits in, and how to set it up in Karisma.
What Changed in Karisma’s Reporting Workflow?
Template selection is one of those steps that introduces variability as much as friction. Some reporters always use a template. Some pick the wrong one under time pressure. Some, when the list is long and the queue is longer, skip it.
From the latest Karisma build, templates are linked directly to service types in their configuration. When a reporter opens a new report with no existing content, Karisma reads the service types and inserts the appropriate template into the correct section of the report document automatically. The reporter sees the right structure in place when they start, not a blank document and a template list.
How Are Report Templates Linked to Service Types in Karisma?
Each service type configuration in Karisma now includes a Reporting column with three configuration fields.
Report Template sets the default template for that service type. Report Template Insert Field specifies the section of the report document where the content should be placed and is mandatory when any default or user override is configured. Report Template User Override is a grid for assigning a different default template per individual reporter for that service type.
When a new report opens, Karisma checks the service types and resolves the right template in order: user-level override first, then the service definition default. The template is inserted automatically. There is no prompt, no manual selection step.
What Happens When a Report Has Multiple Service Types?
When all services on a report resolve to the same template, Karisma inserts it automatically. Single service, same result.
Where the configuration does more work is multi-service reports where different service types point to different templates for the same report section. Karisma checks for a saved Default Template Insertion Rule, a preference set in a prior session when the reporter made a deliberate choice about template order and inclusion. User-specific rules are checked first, then global rules. If a match exists, it applies automatically and the reporter sees nothing.
If no saved rule exists yet, a Template Selection dialog appears once. The reporter orders the templates, includes or excludes as needed, and saves the result as a default. That combination is handled silently from that point on.
How Does This Support a Sonographer Reporting Workflow?
For practices running structured sonographer reporting ahead of radiologist sign-off, this is the configuration worth prioritising.
Karisma’s Service Perform Rules can be set so the report opens automatically when a sonographer completes or verifies a study. With default template insertion active, the report opens in edit mode with the structured template already loaded. The sonographer fills in the clinical findings, uses configured dropdown fields to keep report language consistent, and sends it to the radiologist’s authorisation worklist.
For practice managers, this creates a defined pathway that does not depend on each team member following a manual process. The template is there. The route to the radiologist is set. Because configuration sits at the service type level, it applies specifically to ultrasound services without touching other modalities.
What Happens to Saved Rules When a Service Types Default Template Changes?
When a service type’s template configuration is updated (the default template, the insert field, or any user overrides), Karisma automatically identifies and clears any saved Default Template Insertion Rules that are no longer valid. Practices can update their templates without having to manually audit old rules or worry about stale preferences inserting outdated content.
All active rules are visible in the new Report Default Template Insertion Rules page under Data Management, where they can be reviewed or edited directly.
Where Should a Practice Start?
Begin with the highest-volume service types: general X-ray, ultrasound, CT. Set the service-level defaults first, then build out user overrides for reporters whose preferences are already known. It does not need to be configured across every service type on day one to start delivering value.
This feature is available from Karisma build 607 onwards. If you are not sure which build your practice is running, your Kestral account manager can confirm. For a full overview of what Karisma includes, visit the Karisma product page.
Key Takeaways
Automatic report template insertion by service type removes a manual step that recurs across every reporting session. For practices in Australia and New Zealand working toward structured reporting, or managing reporting workflows across sonographers and radiologists, having the correct template load automatically is one of those configurations that earns its setup time back quickly.
To find out how to configure this for your service types, contact the Kestral team.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Karisma link report templates to service types?
Report templates are linked to service types through the Service Type configuration screen in Karisma. Each service definition includes a Reporting column where you set the default template for that service type, the report section where it should be inserted, and optional per-user overrides. When a reporter opens a new study, Karisma reads the service types on the report and inserts the matching template automatically. User-level overrides are checked first, then the service type default.
Can different reporters have different default templates for the same service type?
Yes. The Report Template User Override grid in each service type lets you assign a different default template per individual user. When that reporter opens a study for that service type, their personal template loads instead of the practice-wide default. Each user can appear only once per service type in the override list. This suits practices where reporting style varies between senior and junior staff, or between subspecialty reporters.
What happens when a report covers multiple service types with different templates?
Karisma checks for a saved Default Template Insertion Rule for that service combination. If a saved rule exists from a prior session, it applies automatically with no prompt. If not, a Template Selection dialog appears once. The reporter orders the templates, includes or excludes as needed, and can save the result as a default. That combination is then handled automatically on all subsequent reports. User-specific rules are checked before global rules.
Does Karisma support automatic report opening for sonographers?
Yes. Service Perform Rules in Karisma can be configured so the report opens automatically when a sonographer completes or verifies a study. This is set at the service type level, so it applies specifically to ultrasound services. Combined with default template insertion, the report opens in edit mode with the correct structured template already in place, ready for the sonographer to complete and send to the radiologist’s authorisation worklist.
What happens to saved template rules when a service type is updated?
Karisma automatically identifies and discards any saved Default Template Insertion Rules that are no longer valid when a service type template, insert field, or user overrides are changed. Practices do not need to manually clean up old rules after a configuration update. This prevents outdated rules from inserting the wrong template into new reports.
Which version of Karisma includes automatic report template insertion by service type?
Automatic report template insertion by service type is available from Karisma build 607 onwards. Practices on an earlier build should speak with their Kestral account manager to confirm eligibility and next steps for upgrading. Kestral supports practices across Australia and New Zealand through the upgrade process.
About the Author
Thom Neligan is Business Development Manager at Kestral Computing, with a background in radiology software support and implementations across Australian and New Zealand diagnostic imaging. He works with practices to configure Karisma workflows that reduce manual steps without compromising clinical consistency.