The diagnostic queue: from token to study

The diagnostic queue is how your lab or imaging department organizes patient flow. Every patient who arrives for a test (X-ray, ultrasound, blood work, or other diagnostic service) enters the queue and receives a token. The queue helps ensure that patients are called in order and that staff can track who is being tested and what the status of each study is.

Before you start

• Your account must have access to the Diagnostic Queue feature (lab or imaging ref_product).
• You should understand the difference between a queue token (a unique identifier for one patient's visit) and a study (the test or tests that patient will have).

How the queue works

1. Patient arrives and gets a token

When a patient arrives at your lab or imaging department, they (or the front desk) create a new queue token. This token is specific to that visit. The patient may have one or more studies ordered.

2. View the queue

To see the active queue, go to Queues and select the diagnostic queue for your department.

Open in Usystems

The queue shows all active tokens in order. Each row displays:

• The patient's name and ID
• The token number (auto-assigned)
• Arrival time
• Current status (waiting, in progress, completed)
• The study(ies) assigned to that token

3. Call a patient to the diagnostic station

When you are ready to test the next patient, select their token from the queue. Usystems marks them as "in progress."

4. Perform the diagnostic study

The staff member conducts the test (imaging scan, lab work, etc.). The study remains linked to the patient's token until it is complete.

5. Mark the study as complete

Once the test is done, the technician records the completion in the queue. The token status changes to "completed." The patient may now leave or proceed to the next step (such as billing or waiting for results).

6. Optional: Scan a token on return

If a patient returns with a printed token (for example, after waiting for results), you can scan their QR code or token number. Usystems will auto-select their record, speeding up lookup.

Queue and billing

The queue and billing are linked. When a patient's diagnostic study is complete, the front desk or billing staff will create an invoice or sales receipt for the service. The completed study becomes the basis for billing (see Billing diagnostic services for the full process).

Tips & common mistakes

• Status vs. completion: Just because a token status shows "completed" does not mean the invoice is created yet. Billing happens as a separate step.
• Multiple studies on one token: A single token can have more than one test. For example, a patient might have both an X-ray and an ultrasound on the same visit. All studies are linked to the same token.
• Scanning saves time: If your lab has a label printer, print the token QR code for the patient. When they return, scanning the code auto-selects their record, cutting down on manual entry errors.
• Queue order is important: Always pull tokens in sequence from the queue. This ensures fair patient flow and prevents someone from accidentally being skipped.