Kestral’s 2026 Roadmap offers a clear answer to both questions. Spanning radiology and pathology, cloud-native architecture, interoperability, workflow optimisation and patient experience, it reflects a vendor that is accelerating rather than consolidating and doing so on the basis of what its customers have told it they need.

A roadmap built with customers, not just for them

What distinguishes Kestral’s development approach is the role that customers play in shaping it. Kestral runs structured pilot programs that place new capabilities in the hands of real practices before they are finalised. Feedback from those pilots is used to triage the roadmap, determining not just what gets built, but what gets built first.

For radiology managers, this matters because it means the features reaching the product are the ones that address real operational friction, not hypothetical use cases. The development priorities visible in Kestral’s Innovation Vision reflect years of accumulated feedback from the more than 180 ANZ imaging sites running Karisma RIS, spanning eForms, split billing, patient self-check-in, provider directory integration, and smart reporting worklists.

Karisma workflow improvements landing now

Kestral’s 2026 Roadmap is focused on the operational pressure points that practice managers encounter daily. eForms digitise and streamline the referral and booking process. Split billing reduces the administrative burden of complex billing scenarios. Integration with provider directories ensures patient and referrer data is accurate and current without manual maintenance.

National Lung Cancer Screening Registry upload addresses a specific and growing compliance obligation for Australian practices participating in the national screening program, a capability that reflects Kestral’s active engagement with the Australian digital health agenda rather than reactive catch-up. 

The My Health Record integration allows both the upload of results for compliance but also the retrieval of relevant information such as previous radiology and pathology reports from other providers giving your team all the information they need to provide the best patient care at their fingertips. 

Interoperability as a foundation, not a feature

Kestral’s K-Link API gateway represents one of the most significant platform investments in the 2026 roadmap. Rather than treating interoperability as a point-to-point integration problem, K-Link provides a centralised authentication and routing layer that decouples Karisma from the complexity of individual system connections.

For CIOs and RIS managers, this architecture matters. It means Karisma can participate in a broader health IT ecosystem, connecting with PACS, patient engagement platforms, billing systems, and national infrastructure, giving practices the level of connectivity appropriate to their environment.

FHIR eRequesting capability, further positions Kestral at the forefront of Australian radiology interoperability, enabling structured, standards-compliant electronic requesting that reduces friction between referrers and imaging practices.

Patient experience as a clinical and commercial priority

The patient experience layer in Kestral’s roadmap is not a cosmetic addition. Patient self check-in, online booking integration, and intelligent assignment directly affect throughput, staff workload, and patient satisfaction, all of which have operational and commercial consequences for a practice.

As patient expectations in healthcare continue to shift toward the consumer experiences they have in other parts of their lives, imaging practices that offer friction-free booking, arrival, and communication processes will have a meaningful advantage. Kestral’s focus on patient experience positions Karisma to support that shift rather than lag behind it.

A new way to deploy Kestral, cloud-native and built for independent practices

One of the most significant announcements in Kestral’s 2026 Roadmap is the exploration of a new cloud-native RIS designed specifically for single-site and independent practices. Built on a modern data architecture optimised for structured, query-ready data, the new platform is set to be faster to deploy and easier to operate than traditional on-premise RIS installations, while carrying the clinical capability and vendor reliability of the Karisma ecosystem.

Critically, existing Karisma K3 and K4 customers have a will have a defined, supported migration path to the new platform. This is a controlled, phased transition designed to protect the investment practices have made in their current systems, not a disruptive replacement.

For smaller and independent practices that have historically found enterprise RIS solutions over-engineered for their needs, this represents a significant shift in what is available to them from a vendor with Kestral’s depth of experience.

AI where it earns its place

Kestral’s approach to AI is pragmatic. The focus is on applying it where it produces tangible improvements rather than adopting it as a positioning statement. In the near term, that means AI-assisted development that accelerates the delivery of roadmap features, producing faster releases without compromising quality or increasing technical debt.

On the product horizon, Kestral is developing AI-driven capabilities targeted at specific high-friction points: OCR and automatic population of patient details from request forms, billing accuracy improvements, and smart reporting worklists that surface the right study to the right radiologist at the right time. Each of these addresses a real operational problem. None of them is AI for its own sake.

Pathology, a reinvigorated focus

Kestral’s 2026 roadmap marks a significant recommitment to pathology. The company is developing new modules within its Laboratory Information System, extending functionality and building toward a next-generation pathology workflow platform. The full scope of Kestral’s pathology direction will be announced at its live webinar on 2 June, and the investment signals a vendor expanding its diagnostic platform ambition rather than narrowing it.

For pathology operations leaders evaluating their software landscape, Kestral’s renewed focus represents a meaningful development in the ANZ market.

The ownership context

Kestral is owned by Jonas Software, a division of Constellation Software. Jonas Software’s model is explicitly buy-and-hold, acquiring specialist vertical market software businesses with the intention of developing them indefinitely. For practices weighing the risk of vendor acquisition or product discontinuation, this ownership structure provides a level of assurance that is uncommon in the diagnostic software market. Kestral is not being managed toward an exit. It is being invested in for the long term.

About Kestral Computing

Kestral Computing has more than 30 years of experience building software for radiology and pathology practices across Australia and New Zealand. Karisma RIS supports more than 180 ANZ imaging sites. Kestral’s 2026 roadmap spans cloud-native architecture, interoperability, patient experience, workflow improvements, and a reinvigorated pathology platform, built in close collaboration with the practices that depend on its software every day.

The post How Kestral’s 2026 Roadmap is shaping the future of diagnostic technology in Australia and New Zealand appeared first on Kestral Computing.

The Challenge 

Healthcare teams rely on correct provider details for billing, referrals, and compliance. But today, Radiology Providers spend significant time tracking down, manually entering and updating practitioner and clinic information. This approach is slow, prone to human error, and often results in inaccuracies that disrupt workflows and compromise patient experience. Kestral’s Provider Directory eliminates these risks by connecting Karisma directly to authoritative national directories, ensuring your data is accurate, complete, and always up to date. 

What Makes Kestral’s Provider Directory Different 

Kestral’s Provider Directory connects Karisma directly to the National Health Services Directory (NHSD) in Australia and the Healthpoint Directory in New Zealand. It acts as a smart gateway that translates complex FHIR-based API calls into a standardised format for Karisma. Each customer environment is configured to run exclusively against its relevant national directory, ensuring compliance and precision for your market. 

The architecture is modern and resilient, built on a decoupled RESTful design that supports future integrations. Advanced search functionality allows users to quickly find providers by name, Medicare Provider Number, clinic name, or suburb – making data retrieval fast and intuitive. 

The Benefits You’ll See 

• Data Accuracy and Compliance: Provider details are sourced directly from official government directories, eliminating manual errors. 
• Operational Efficiency: Reception and administrative staff save time by instantly searching and importing records instead of retyping complex details. 
• Streamlined Intake: Adding new providers becomes faster and easier, improving patient onboarding workflows. 
• Future-Proof Resilience: The broker architecture shields Karisma from external API changes, reducing maintenance costs and system disruptions. 
• Improved Billing and Referrals: Correct identifiers are captured for accurate claims processing and seamless electronic referrals. 

Coming in 2026

Register your interest today to be among the first to experience the future of provider data management.

The post Introducing Kestral’s Provider Directory: Automating Provider Data Management in Karisma appeared first on Kestral Computing.

A RIS that serves a practice well at its current scale but cannot grow with it is a deferred problem. The system selected today will shape how the practice operates through every growth phase, new site opening and regulatory change that follows. This article covers how Karisma is built for that long-term reality across Australia and New Zealand.

How Does Karisma Scale With a Growing Radiology Practice?

Growth in a radiology practice typically arrives in one of three forms: increased examination volume at an existing site, expansion to additional sites, or diversification into new modalities and service types. Karisma is designed to scale across all three dimensions. Additional worksites can be added without rebuilding the configuration that already exists. Service types and modalities can be introduced within the existing system architecture.

How Does the Rebate Library Reduce Billing Complexity as Services Expand?

Karisma’s Rebate Library automates the mapping of service codes to the correct item numbers based on account type and workflow data. Staff do not need to memorise complex pricing schedules or make manual selections from extensive item number lists. The correct billing is applied automatically based on the information already captured in the system, ensuring consistent, compliant claims across the full service mix.

How Does the Key User Training Model Support Practice Independence?

Rather than training all staff to a uniform level, Kestral’s Key User training model equips nominated key users within the practice to configure and maintain Karisma independently. These key users develop a deep working knowledge of the system’s configuration capabilities, giving the practice the ability to make changes, onboard new staff and adapt workflows without routing every adjustment through the vendor.

For more on Kestral’s training and support model, see Why Australia and New Zealand’s Radiology Providers Trust Kestral for Support, Reliability and Service

How Does Karisma’s Interoperability Support a Growing Technology Environment?

Karisma’s PACS-agnostic design and open API mean practices are not locked into a specific ecosystem. The tools a practice chooses can connect to Karisma as the practice’s needs evolve. K-Link governs those connections with security controls and throttle management, keeping the integration environment stable and manageable as it grows in complexity.

For full detail on K-Link and the Karisma API, see Frequently Asked Questions: Interoperability in Healthcare

Frequently Asked Questions: Karisma Scalability and Long-Term Growth

Will Karisma still serve my practice as it grows?

Yes. Karisma is designed to scale across the full arc of practice growth, from single-site operations through to complex multi-site networks managing high examination volumes across diverse modalities. Additional worksites can be added without rebuilding existing configuration. New service types and modalities can be introduced within the existing system architecture. For practice owners planning ahead, Karisma removes the risk of a disruptive mid-growth RIS replacement.

How does the Rebate Library handle billing complexity across a growing service mix?

Karisma’s Rebate Library automates the mapping of service codes to the correct item numbers based on account type and workflow data already captured in the system. For practices managing diverse billing environments across multiple worksites in Australia and New Zealand, this automation keeps billing accuracy sustainable as the service mix grows without a proportional increase in finance staff overhead.

What is the Key User training model and how does it work?

Rather than training all staff to a uniform level, Kestral’s Key User training model equips nominated staff within the practice to configure and maintain Karisma independently. These key users develop a deep working knowledge of Karisma’s configuration capabilities, giving the practice the ability to adapt workflows, onboard new staff and make system changes without routing every adjustment through the vendor.

Is Karisma locked to specific PACS vendors or third-party systems?

No. Karisma’s PACS-agnostic design and open API mean practices are not locked into a specific technology ecosystem. K-Link governs connections with security controls and throttle management, keeping the integration environment stable and manageable as it grows in complexity. For CIOs responsible for long-term technology strategy across radiology practices in Australia and New Zealand, this architectural flexibility means the RIS investment made today does not constrain the technology decisions that will need to be made tomorrow.

What support does Kestral provide for practices as they scale?

Kestral’s support team is based in Australia and New Zealand, providing responsive, informed assistance grounded in an understanding of the local healthcare environment. The Key User training model builds internal capability within the practice so day-to-day operational questions can be resolved independently while Kestral remains available for more complex requirements.

The post Will Your Radiology Information System Still Serve Your Practice in Five Years? appeared first on Kestral Computing.

For the broader case for eRequests and online bookings as a connected workflow, see How Are eRequests and Online Bookings Changing the Patient Journey in Radiology?

How Does the Kestral Online Bookings Workflow Actually Operate?

When a patient submits a booking request through the practice’s online booking page, the system immediately reserves the appropriate room and time in the Karisma diary and creates a scheduled request in Karisma for staff review. This means the appointment slot is protected from the moment the patient completes their booking, with no risk of double booking while the request sits in a queue.

Staff manage incoming requests through three structured worklists, each designed for a distinct type of booking interaction.

The Bookings worklist displays all appointments where the room, time and date have been reserved in Karisma. Depending on configuration, exam details and the patient’s request form are captured at the time of booking.

The Booking Enquiries worklist manages requests for more complex modalities where a fixed timeslot is not appropriate at the point of online submission. Rather than selecting a specific appointment time, the patient provides their contact details and request form, and indicates a preferred date and whether they would prefer a morning or afternoon appointment.

The Help Enquiries worklist captures any queries submitted through the Help function on the online booking page. Once a patient has been contacted and their query resolved, the enquiry is processed and closed.

How Does Automated Communication Reduce No-Shows and Preparation Errors?

Once a booking is confirmed, Kestral Online Bookings triggers automated patient communication via SMS or email. Patients receive an instant confirmation with their booking details and the practice’s contact information. Preparation instructions relevant to their appointment type are sent separately, ensuring patients arrive informed and ready rather than discovering preparation requirements on the day.

Booking reminders are sent closer to the appointment date, reducing the rate of cancellations and no-shows. For practices managing high examination volumes where a single unfilled slot represents a meaningful cost, automated reminders are one of the clearest return-on-investment elements of the online booking workflow.

What Scheduling Controls Does Kestral Online Bookings Give Practices?

Kestral Online Bookings is configurable at a granular level across every element of the scheduling environment. Practices define which services are available for online booking. Standard examinations can be opened for self-service scheduling. Complex procedures such as biopsies and injections can be excluded from the online channel entirely, routing patients to contact the practice directly. Modality availability, appointment durations and scheduling windows are all configurable.

For more on how booking configuration works across the broader Karisma system, see Why Does a Configurable RIS Matter in Optimising how your Radiology Practice Operates?

What Does This Mean for Front Desk Operations?

Straightforward appointment requests that previously required a phone call are handled entirely through the online channel. Patients book at a time that suits them, the diary is updated in real time, and the confirmation and preparation instructions go out automatically. Staff are not involved until the booking is ready for clinical review, at which point the relevant information is already captured and waiting in the worklist.

The post How Does Kestral Online Bookings Work and What Does It Mean for Practice Operations? appeared first on Kestral Computing.