What Is the Karisma Approvals Module and How Does It Work?
Target audience: Practice Owners and Practice Managers / Operations Managers
Author: [CONFIRM AUTHOR]
Internal links: See https://kestral.com.au/frequently-asked-questions-ris-configuration-in-karisma/, https://kestral.com.au/why-patient-transport-matters-in-radiology/, https://kestral.com.au/karisma/
The Karisma Approvals Module replaces paper-based protocolling with a structured digital workflow that moves every patient request from received through to scheduled in a consistent, auditable process. For radiology practices across Australia and New Zealand managing increasing examination volumes across complex modalities, digital protocolling is one of the clearest operational improvements available.
For more on how the Approvals Module fits within the broader Karisma suite, see https://kestral.com.au/karisma/.
What is the Karisma Approvals Module?
The Karisma Approvals Module is a dedicated digital environment for protocolling patient services before an appointment is scheduled. Every patient request moves through a structured workflow from received to approved to scheduled, ensuring nothing is overlooked and every request is handled consistently regardless of which staff member processes it. By replacing paper-based approval processes with a digital workflow built directly into Karisma, the module eliminates misplaced forms, inconsistent processes and the bottlenecks that come from manual handling at the protocolling stage.
What are the stages of the Karisma approvals workflow?
The approvals workflow moves through five structured stages. New requests appear in the Pending Approvals worklist. Admin processing follows, with staff validating patient details and completing the relevant questionnaires. Technical review confirms imaging requirements with MITs or technical staff. Radiologist review adds clinical input to ensure accuracy and patient safety. Once approved, the request moves seamlessly into scheduling. Steps can be configured to be skipped where the service type or modality does not require every stage.
How does the Approvals Module reduce errors in the booking and preparation process?
Mandatory fields and configurable questionnaires ensure the right clinical and logistical information is captured at the protocolling stage before the appointment is locked in. Preparation requirements are confirmed during technical review rather than discovered on the day. Radiologist input at the review stage adds a clinical check that catches issues before they become scheduling problems. For practices managing complex modalities where preparation errors create significant downstream disruption, this structured review process reduces rescheduling burden significantly.
How configurable is the Karisma Approvals Module?
The module is highly configurable to reflect the specific workflows and service mix of each practice. Questionnaires can be tailored by service type, department or worksite. Role-based access ensures the right staff see and action the right requests at each stage of the workflow. Custom worklists give teams a focused view of the approvals relevant to their role. For radiology practices across Australia and New Zealand managing diverse modality mixes across multiple sites, this configurability is what makes the module practical rather than generic. See https://kestral.com.au/frequently-asked-questions-ris-configuration-in-karisma/ for more on Karisma’s configuration capabilities.
How does the Approvals Module connect to the broader Karisma workflow?
The Approvals Module is built directly into Karisma rather than operating as a standalone tool. Once a request completes the approvals workflow, it moves seamlessly into Karisma’s scheduling environment without requiring manual transfer or re-entry of information already captured during protocolling. See https://kestral.com.au/why-patient-transport-matters-in-radiology/ for how patient movement connects to the broader workflow.
What are the sustainability benefits of digital protocolling?
Replacing paper-based approval processes with digital workflows reduces the volume of printed forms, paper questionnaires and physical documents that move through the practice during the protocolling process. For practices with sustainability commitments or environmental targets, this reduction in paper consumption is a measurable operational benefit that comes alongside the clinical and administrative improvements the module delivers.