The signs are typically operational: staff working around the system rather than through it, manual steps in workflows that should be automated, billing exceptions that stem from system limitations rather than data errors, and analytics that require manual extraction rather than connecting to the tools your practice already uses. If any of these are familiar, it is worth evaluating whether an enterprise grade RIS would close that gap.

What makes Karisma’s role-based design different from other RIS platforms?

Karisma launches each user directly into the workflow view relevant to their role. There is no generic interface that every user navigates differently. Reception, imaging, reporting and management staff each see the screens and functions relevant to their daily work from the moment they log in. This reduces training time, daily friction and the errors that come from staff working in parts of the system they are not familiar with.

How does Karisma’s reporting workflow handle high volumes and subspecialty needs?

Reporting pools allow intelligent workload distribution based on subspecialty, urgency and availability rather than manual assignment or undifferentiated queues. Urgent cases are surfaced prominently. Deck layout management keeps reporting structured and consistent across the team. For practices managing diverse radiologist groups across Australia and New Zealand, this level of workflow intelligence is a meaningful upgrade from a system that treats all reports and all radiologists as equivalent.

What is Kestral’s implementation approach?

Kestral’s deployment methodology follows a structured, phased and iterative approach comprising the following stages: Initiation & Planning; Data Review, Mapping & Cleansing; Non- Production (Test) Migration; Application Configuration; Training; Production Migration (Cutover); and Post Go-Live Hypercare. This framework ensures each phase is validated before progression, reducing the risk of downstream issues and providing a clear, governed path to go-live.

The post Frequently Asked Questions: Why Upgrade to Karisma appeared first on Kestral Computing.

Kestral provides role-based training structured around the specific functions each staff member performs in Karisma. Reception staff, imaging technologists, radiologists, billing staff and practice managers each receive training tailored to their workflows rather than a generic system overview. Sessions are hands-on and interactive, with the goal of having every team member operating Karisma competently from day one.

How does Kestral support staff training after go-live?

Kestral provides access to a library of online training videos that staff can revisit at any time. This gives practice managers a practical resource for onboarding new staff, supporting role changes and refreshing knowledge without scheduling a formal training session. Individual staff members can work through relevant modules at their own pace, building confidence in the areas most relevant to their role.

What does ongoing technical support look like for Karisma customers?

Kestral’s support team is available to assist with technical issues as they arise, with a focus on prompt resolution and minimal disruption to practice workflow. The team takes a proactive approach to identifying and addressing potential issues before they affect operations. As Karisma evolves and new features are released, Kestral keeps customers informed and supported through changes.

What experience does the Kestral support team bring to practice operations?

Kestral’s support team combines clinical science backgrounds with deep radiology domain knowledge and extensive experience in practice operations across Australia and New Zealand. Support conversations are grounded in an understanding of how radiology practices actually work, not just how the software is built. When a practice manager raises a workflow question or operational issue, the response reflects genuine familiarity with the clinical and administrative context behind it.

What should practice managers look for in a RIS vendor’s support model?

A support model worth investing in goes beyond a helpdesk that responds to technical faults. Practice managers should look for a vendor whose support team understands the clinical and operational environment the software operates in, who takes a proactive approach to potential issues rather than waiting for problems to surface, and who provides resources that reduce the internal training burden over time. The quality of support a practice receives after go-live is as important as the quality of the implementation itself.

About the Author

Jan Sebire is Support Manager at Kestral Computing, with a clinical science background and more than 25 years of experience in diagnostic healthcare. Jan leads Kestral’s customer support function, working directly with radiology practices across Australia and New Zealand to ensure they get the most out of Karisma throughout the full implementation lifecycle and beyond.

The post Frequently Asked Questions: Karisma Training and Support appeared first on Kestral Computing.

Interoperability in healthcare is the ability for multiple clinical systems to exchange and use information in a consistent format, in a way that adds value at every stage of the patient journey. When systems cannot share data reliably, the gaps appear as delayed results, duplicated data entry and clinicians making decisions without a complete picture. For radiology and pathology practices across Australia and New Zealand, a connected data environment reduces administrative burden, improves accuracy and supports better patient outcomes across every workflow.

What is the difference between HL7 and FHIR?

HL7 (Health Level 7) is the long-established standard for data exchange between clinical systems including RIS, LIS, PAS and EMR platforms. It underpins most healthcare integrations operating in Australia and New Zealand today. FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources) is the next generation of that standard, using a modern API-based approach that is better suited to digital-first care environments. FHIR enables more flexible, structured data exchange and is the direction Australian and New Zealand healthcare is actively moving toward. See https://kestral.com.au/how-kestral-is-leading-fhir-erequesting-for-australian-radiology/ for a full breakdown.

Does Karisma support FHIR eRequesting?

Yes. FHIR eRequesting is live in Karisma through an integration with Magentus. Practices ready to move to structured electronic requesting should contact Magentus to initiate the process. Kestral manages the technical integration from there. Structured eRequests deliver referral information in a consistent, machine-readable format, reducing manual handling for booking staff and ensuring clinicians receive the clinical context they need in a usable form.

What is the KMG+ gateway and what does it do?

KMG+ is Kestral’s advanced messaging gateway, built on HL7 standards. It connects health information systems including RIS, LIS, PAS and EMR platforms for secure, reliable data exchange. KMG+ adds SSL security capabilities, advanced alerting on messaging events and compatibility with emerging standards including FHIR. For practices managing complex integration environments, it provides the visibility and security controls needed to maintain a stable, connected workflow.

What is the K-Link API Gateway?

K-Link is Kestral’s interoperability API, designed for practices that need integration beyond the core clinical environment. Where HL7 connects clinical systems, K-Link enables connection to ancillary workflow systems, giving practices the flexibility to build data flows that suit their specific operational needs. For full detail, see https://kestral.com.au/which-karisma-api-best-suits-your-business/ and https://kestral.com.au/online-bookings/.

Is Kestral involved in FHIR standards development in Australia?

Yes. Kestral is an active participant in the adoption and implementation of FHIR standards across both radiology and pathology in the Australian market. This work goes beyond building to the standard. Kestral is engaged in how FHIR is being shaped and applied in real clinical environments, contributing to an approach that delivers practical value for practices and patients rather than compliance for its own sake.

What are the operational benefits of interoperability for practice managers?

A well-integrated practice environment reduces the manual handling that comes from systems that cannot communicate. Staff spend less time re-entering data, chasing referral details or managing errors that stem from unstructured information. Results return in formats that receiving systems can use directly. Referrals arrive with clinical context intact. For practice managers, the day-to-day impact is fewer administrative workarounds, more reliable data and a workflow that keeps pace with the expectations of referrers and patients alike.

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An eRequest is an electronically created and transmitted referral that moves directly from the referring practitioner to the radiology practice at the point of consultation. Rather than relying on paper, fax or email, the referral arrives at the practice immediately, allowing booking staff to contact the patient straight away. The patient retains their referral as required, but the practice is in position to secure the appointment before the patient has had a chance to look elsewhere.

What is the difference between a referral and a request in radiology?

Referral and request are used interchangeably across the radiology industry, but they have distinct meanings under national standards. A referral is a practitioner referring a patient to another practitioner. A request is a practitioner asking for a specific diagnostic service such as medical imaging or pathology. Medical imaging is technically a request. Kestral uses imaging request in our terminology in line with national standards and FHIR eRequesting frameworks. For more information see (blog post that breaks it down really well)

How does online booking work for radiology appointments?

Kestral Online Bookings allows patients with a hard copy imaging request to make their booking enquiry directly through the practice booking page. The patient enters their contact details, uploads an image of their request securely and selects a preferred appointment time. Practices configure which appointment types are available for self-service booking and which are routed to staff for review, giving full control over the booking channel while extending availability outside standard office hours. See https://kestral.com.au/online-bookings/ for full workflow detail.

Can eRequests and online bookings handle specialty or complex appointments?

Yes. Practices can configure Kestral Online Bookings so that preparation-dependent appointments such as MRI or biopsy procedures are routed to staff for manual review rather than automatic confirmation. When requests arrive electronically, booking staff can verify preparation requirements, confirm accurate cost estimates and provide clear instructions before the appointment is locked in. This reduces errors and avoids the downstream problems that come from incorrect bookings.

Why are paper and fax requests a problem for radiology practices?

Paper requests require the patient to physically collect and present the document, creating a gap between the consultation and the booking. Faxed requests are prone to transcription errors and can be misplaced. Email raises data security concerns. None of these methods give the practice a fast, reliable path to securing the appointment, and in a telehealth environment where the patient has no physical document to collect, the problem is compounded further.

How do eRequests support telehealth consultations?

When a request is created during a telehealth consultation, the patient has no physical document to collect. Kestral eRequesting transmits the request electronically to the preferred practice at the moment it is created. Booking staff can reach the patient within minutes of the consultation ending, with a confirmed appointment time already available. The patient receives their appointment details and can reschedule if needed, all without visiting a clinic to collect paperwork.

What are the administrative benefits of online bookings for radiology front desk staff?

Online bookings reduce inbound call volume for straightforward appointment requests, freeing staff to focus on bookings that require clinical review or preparation coordination. Availability extends beyond office hours, so patients can request appointments at a time that suits them without the practice needing additional staffing. Configurable appointment type controls mean complex or preparation-dependent bookings are still managed by the right person, keeping the workflow efficient without removing oversight where it matters.

https://kestral.com.au/online-bookings/

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Kestral Computing’s Innovation Vision 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

The near-term radiology 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 Innovation Vision 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 full Kestral 2026 roadmap will be presented live on 2 June at 1pm AEST. 

Register to attend

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

The quality of a radiology report gets a practice in the door. The quality of the experience around that report determines whether the referrals keep coming.

The Referral Relationship No One Talks About

Ask most practice managers what drives referrals and they’ll talk about clinical quality, location, and turnaround time. They’re right. But there’s a fourth factor that rarely gets named: the experience of receiving results from you.

A GP who receives a professional, well-formatted report with instant image access has a better experience of your practice than one who receives plain text that renders differently in their system, with no way to view the images without calling. The first GP refers more. The second drifts, often without ever articulating why.

This is the gap that modern report distribution is designed to close.

What Are Referrers Actually Asking For?

When we listen to what referring practitioners want from a radiology practice, three things come up consistently:

• Results that are fast and easy to read
• Images they can access without jumping through hoops
• A practice that respects that their time is limited

None of these are asks about technology. They are asks about experience. And they are entirely within a practice’s control to deliver.

Where Most Practices Are Losing Referrer Goodwill

The phone call that shouldn’t happen

When a GP receives a report and needs to view the images, they have a choice: navigate a portal they may not have credentials for, or call your front desk. Most call. That call, brief as it is, is a moment of friction. Your team has to stop what they’re doing. The GP has to wait. Neither experience is the one you want associated with your practice.

The report that looks unprofessional

Plain-text HL7 reports render inconsistently across practice management systems. What looks structured inside your RIS arrives as a wall of unformatted text in many GP inboxes. The radiologist’s careful work is invisible. The impression that creates, however unfair, reflects on your practice.

The manual task that eats your team’s day

Report distribution that requires human intervention is a workflow tax. Every step that isn’t automated is a step that costs time, introduces risk, and scales poorly as your practice grows.

What Changes When You Get This Right

Practices that invest in how results are delivered, not just the quality of the reporting, see concrete changes in their referrer relationships:

“Clickable links for our referrers have been a game changer. They streamline workflow by providing direct access to critical imaging data, enhancing diagnostic precision and communication with their patients. Our referrers no longer have to call us to sign up or ask for their log in details — this link leads them directly to their patient’s images. Referrers can view their images in the comfort of their own system. Thank you Kestral!” 

— Timothy Scott, South West Radiology 

Timothy Scott’s experience at South West Radiology captures it well. The value isn’t the technology. It’s what the technology removes. Phone calls. Friction. The small moments where a referrer’s confidence in your practice is quietly tested.

How Karisma Report Distribution Addresses This

Karisma Report Distribution is built around a simple idea: every result you send should make the referring practitioner’s day easier, not harder.

Reports are distributed automatically the moment they’re approved, in clean, branded HTML that renders consistently in every practice management system, with your logo included. Pre-authenticated image links give referrers one-click access to PACS images without a portal login or a call to your team.

The result is a referrer experience that reflects the quality of your clinical work. One that builds loyalty without your team having to do anything extra. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does report distribution affect referrer relationships? 

Because referrers experience your practice through every interaction, including how results arrive and how easy they are to act on. Consistent, professional, fast report delivery signals that you respect their time. Poor delivery, even if the clinical content is excellent, creates friction that erodes the relationship over time.

What is the best way to send radiology reports to GPs in Australia? 

The most effective approach combines automated HTML report delivery with pre-authenticated PACS image links. This ensures referrers receive well-formatted reports with instant, one-click image access, regardless of which practice management system they use, and removes the phone calls and manual steps that create friction.

Do I need PACS image URLs to use HTML report distribution?

No. You can upgrade to HTML format reports with or without image links. URL functionality can be added at any point, so you’re not locked into a specific configuration from day one.

Which PACS providers are supported? 

Kestral connects with all major PACS providers and information-sharing platforms. If a specific provider isn’t currently a Kestral partner, we’d be happy to explore options with you.

About the Author

The Kestral Product Team has worked alongside Australian radiology and pathology providers for close to 40 years, building workflow solutions that bring people and technology together.

Read more about Karisma Report Distribution or download the factsheet

The post Why the Best Radiology Practices Treat Report Distribution as a Referrer Relationship Tool appeared first on Kestral Computing.

Kestral Computing is consistently recognised across the Australian and New Zealand radiology market as a vendor that takes customer feedback seriously, not as a courtesy, but as a core part of how it builds its products.

How Kestral develops with its customers

Kestral’s approach to product development is grounded in direct collaboration with the practices using its software. Rather than building features in isolation and releasing them to the market, Kestral runs structured pilot programs that place new capabilities in the hands of real customers before they are finalised. Feedback from those pilots shapes what gets built, what gets refined, and critically, what gets prioritised.

This is not a passive process. Kestral uses customer input to triage its development roadmap, meaning the improvements that matter most to the people running radiology practices are the ones that move to the front of the queue. Practice managers and radiology directors who work with Kestral have a direct line into what comes next.

Why triage-driven development matters for radiology practices

Radiology practices operate under significant operational pressure. Workflow bottlenecks, billing complexity, reporting demands, and interoperability gaps all compete for attention, and not every problem has equal impact. A vendor that builds based on genuine customer triage understands which problems are costing practices time and revenue today, rather than which features look impressive in a product demonstration.

Kestral’s development model reflects this. Features like eForms, split billing, provider directory integration, and patient self check-in have all been shaped by input from the practices that depend on Karisma RIS daily. The roadmap is not a list of hypothetical capabilities. It is a reflection of what Kestral’s customers have said they need.

Co-design as a competitive advantage

For practices evaluating long-term RIS partnerships, a vendor’s responsiveness to customer feedback is a proxy for how well the product will serve them five or ten years from now. A vendor that listens and acts will continue to evolve with the needs of its customers. One that does not will accumulate the kind of gap between product capability and clinical reality that creates frustration and, eventually, migration.

Kestral’s pilot program model and triage-based prioritisation mean that customers are not passive recipients of a product roadmap. They are contributors to it. That relationship is particularly valuable for radiology managers who need a system that adapts to changing workflows, regulatory requirements, and patient expectations over time.

About Kestral and Karisma RIS

Kestral Computing has more than 30 years of experience building software for radiology and pathology practices across Australia and New Zealand. Karisma RIS is used by more than 180 imaging sites across the ANZ region. Kestral’s development approach combines deep domain expertise with direct customer collaboration, producing a system that is shaped by the people who use it every day.

The post The RIS vendor that listens: how customer feedback shapes the Karisma roadmap appeared first on Kestral Computing.

Yes, and Kestral is deliberate about what that means. Rather than adopting AI for its own sake, Kestral is focused on applying it where it creates tangible, practical improvements for radiology and pathology practices. That means faster software delivery today, and a defined set of in-product capabilities on the near-term horizon.

How is Kestral using AI right now?

Kestral’s most immediate application of AI is in how it builds software. The team has integrated AI into its development lifecycle, accelerating the delivery of new features, integrations, and compliance-driven capabilities. Automated testing and AI-assisted build processes mean higher quality releases and shorter turnaround times on the improvements customers are asking for. The benefit to practices is straightforward: the things on the roadmap get delivered faster and with fewer defects.

What in-product AI capabilities is Kestral developing?

Kestral’s near-term product AI roadmap is focused on features that remove friction from real clinical and administrative workflows. The capabilities in development include:

OCR and automatic data population. Extracting information directly from request forms and populating patient and booking details automatically, reducing manual entry and the errors that come with it.

Billing accuracy. Applying intelligence to the billing process to improve accuracy, reduce rejections, and ensure practices are capturing the revenue they are entitled to.

Smart reporting worklists. Surfacing the right studies to the right radiologist at the right time, based on intelligent prioritisation rather than manual queue management.

These are not experimental features. They are targeted at the highest-friction points in a radiology practice’s daily operation.

What is Kestral’s philosophy on AI in diagnostics?

Kestral’s position is that AI should earn its place in clinical software by solving real problems, not by adding complexity or making systems harder to use. Every AI initiative at Kestral is evaluated against a simple question: does this make a meaningful difference for the clinician, the practice manager, or the patient? If the answer is not clearly yes, it does not make the roadmap.

How does Kestral’s cloud-native platform support future AI capabilities?

Kestral’s new cloud-native platform is being built with a structured, query-ready data architecture, the foundation that makes analytics, reporting intelligence, and deeper AI integration possible at scale. Practices that migrate to the cloud-native platform will be well-positioned to adopt new AI capabilities as they mature, without needing to rearchitect their systems later.

Kestral’s technology and AI strategy is led by Vishal Bhuimbar, Chief Technology Officer. Vishal oversees engineering delivery, cloud and integration platforms, and AI-driven development, with a consistent focus on secure, scalable systems that produce measurable outcomes for diagnostic practices across Australia and New Zealand.

The post Kestral + AI appeared first on Kestral Computing.

The question of which systems will still be actively supported and meaningfully developed in ten years is one every radiology manager and CIO should be asking. The indicators worth examining are consistent: financial stability, active development velocity, a clear migration path for existing customers, and a roadmap that reflects where diagnostic technology is heading.

What makes a RIS vendor viable for the long term?

Several factors separate vendors likely to thrive over the next decade from those at risk of stagnation, acquisition, or end-of-life:

Active investment in platform modernisation. Vendors still running on legacy architectures without a credible path to cloud-native delivery face compounding technical debt. The practices most at risk are those whose vendor has stopped investing in the underlying platform even while maintaining surface-level feature releases.

A customer base that grows and renews. Market presence is an indicator of commercial sustainability. Vendors with a broad, loyal install base have both the revenue and the incentive to keep developing their products.

A defined roadmap with real delivery history. Promises about future capability are only meaningful in the context of a vendor’s track record. Has the vendor delivered on previous roadmap commitments? Are new capabilities reaching customers on a consistent basis?

Responsiveness to regulatory change. The Australian and New Zealand diagnostic technology landscape continues to evolve. FHIR interoperability, national screening registries, billing rule changes, and digital health infrastructure investments all require ongoing vendor response. A vendor that keeps pace with regulatory and standards obligations is one that is actively invested in the market.

Kestral’s position for the decade ahead

Kestral Computing has operated in the Australian and New Zealand radiology and pathology software market for close to 40 years. Karisma RIS is used by more than 180 imaging sites across the region, a breadth of deployment that reflects both product maturity and commercial sustainability.

Ownership that protects long-term investment. Kestral is owned by Jonas Software, a division of Constellation Software, one of the world’s largest acquirers of vertical market software businesses. Jonas Software’s philosophy is explicitly buy-and-hold: it acquires specialist software companies with the intention of owning and developing them indefinitely, not reselling them or folding them into a larger platform. For radiology practices considering the risk of vendor acquisition, consolidation, or end-of-life, this ownership structure is a material differentiator. Kestral is not a product being managed toward an exit. It is a long-term business with a parent organisation whose model depends on sustained investment in its portfolio companies.

Platform modernisation underway. Kestral is actively exploring a cloud-native RIS architecture designed for structured, query-ready data, analytics readiness, and easier migration from existing environments. This is a funded programme of work with a defined delivery horizon.

Security and compliance investment. Kestral is investing in ISO 27001 certification and dedicated cybersecurity capability, the infrastructure that enables safe participation in cloud ecosystems, national programs, and enterprise health IT environments. For practices evaluating vendors against hospital or health network procurement requirements, this investment is directly relevant.

Faster delivery without increased risk. Kestral has adopted AI-assisted development processes that compress the time between customer need and delivered capability. The result is a faster roadmap without the quality trade-offs that typically accompany accelerated development.

Regulatory alignment. Kestral’s roadmap includes National Lung Cancer Screening Registry upload, Assignment of Benefit changes, and FHIR interoperability development, demonstrating active engagement with the Australian digital health agenda rather than reactive catch-up.

Expanding into pathology. Kestral’s reinvigorated focus on pathology signals a broader diagnostic platform ambition rather than a narrowing of scope. Vendors that are expanding their addressable market are investing in growth. Those that are contracting are managing decline.

Questions to ask any RIS vendor about long-term viability

When evaluating vendors for a long-term RIS commitment, the following questions help separate credible roadmaps from marketing positions:

• What does your platform architecture look like in five years?
• What regulatory changes are you currently developing for, and what is your delivery timeline?
• How do you prioritise your roadmap, and what role do customers play in that process?
• What is your approach to security and compliance certification?
• Can you show a history of delivering on roadmap commitments?

A vendor willing to answer these questions with specificity, not just enthusiasm, is one worth considering for the long term.

About Kestral and Karisma RIS

Kestral Computing has more than 30 years of experience building diagnostic software for radiology and pathology practices across Australia and New Zealand. Karisma RIS supports more than 180 ANZ imaging sites, with active development across workflow, interoperability, patient experience, cloud-native architecture, and pathology. Kestral’s 2026 roadmap reflects a vendor investing in the next decade, not managing the last one.

The post Which radiology systems are most likely to be supported and developed a decade from now? appeared first on Kestral Computing.

The change is part of the Modernising My Health Record reforms and is enshrined in the Health Legislation Amendment (Modernising My Health Record, Sharing by Default) Act 2025. 

Read more about the changes here:  

Modernising My Health Record – Improved access to health information | Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing  

https://www.digitalhealth.gov.au/healthcare-providers/initiatives-and-programs/my-health-record/implementing-my-health-record-in-your-healthcare-organisation

A few key dates for radiology practices: 

February 2026: limb X-ray reports become viewable in My Health Record immediately after upload. Other imaging reports including CT, MRI, PET, ultrasound, and X-rays of the head and torso move to a five-day delay, reduced from seven. 

March 2026: applications open for providers who need additional time to comply. 

July 2026: mandatory upload-by-default commences. Medicare benefit payments become contingent on compliance. 

Limited exceptions apply, including technical issues outside the provider’s control, patient requests for non-upload, and safety concerns.  

The team at Kestral are here to support practices through this transition. We have published guidance and recorded a webinar walking through what the changes mean and how compliance is managed inside Karisma. 

Watch the webinar on  Zendesk

If you need assistance, please reach out through the Zendesk support portal. 

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