What is a Radiology Information System (RIS)?
A Radiology Information System is the software that runs a radiology department's workflow — patient scheduling, registration, worklists, image-order tracking, reporting and billing. It integrates with PACS (image storage) and the hospital record via HL7/DICOM so reports and images stay together.
What is PACS?
A Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) stores, retrieves and distributes medical images and reports across a hospital. PACS handles the images and storage; a RIS handles the workflow and reporting — together they run a modern radiology department.
What is DICOM?
DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine) is the international standard for storing and exchanging medical images and their metadata. It lets scanners, viewers and PACS from different vendors share studies — CT, MRI, X-ray, ultrasound — in one interoperable format.
What is HL7?
Health Level Seven (HL7) is a family of standards for exchanging clinical and administrative data between healthcare systems — orders, results, admissions and more — so an EHR, RIS and laboratory system can talk to each other.
What is an EHR or EMR?
An Electronic Health Record (EHR) or Electronic Medical Record (EMR) is a digital version of a patient's chart — history, diagnoses, medications, results and notes — shared across the care team to improve coordination and safety.
What is point-of-care testing (POCT)?
Point-of-care testing is diagnostic testing performed near the patient — at the bedside, clinic or pharmacy — rather than in a central laboratory. Compact analyzers and rapid test kits return results in minutes, speeding clinical decisions where time matters.
What is a lateral-flow rapid test?
A lateral-flow rapid test detects a target substance — an antigen, antibody or hormone — as a sample wicks across a test strip, showing a result line within minutes. It is the technology behind many point-of-care and at-home test kits.
What is a complete blood count (CBC) differential?
A CBC measures red cells, white cells and platelets. The differential breaks white cells down by type. A standard 5-part differential reports neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils and basophils; a 7-part differential adds further flagged populations for a more detailed white-cell profile. Exact parameters vary by analyzer.
What is a clinical chemistry analyzer?
A clinical chemistry analyzer measures chemical components in blood and other fluids — glucose, electrolytes, liver and kidney markers, lipids and more. Benchtop systems run wide test panels for clinics and labs, automating sample handling and result reporting.
What is cardiac troponin I (cTnI)?
Cardiac troponin I is a protein released into the blood when heart muscle is damaged, making it a key biomarker for diagnosing a heart attack (myocardial infarction). Rapid cTnI tests help clinicians assess chest-pain patients quickly.
What is CK-MB?
Creatine kinase-MB is an enzyme concentrated in heart muscle. A rise can indicate heart-muscle injury; it is a traditional cardiac marker, now commonly used alongside — or replaced by — troponin testing.
What is an HbA1c test?
An HbA1c (glycated haemoglobin) test estimates average blood glucose over roughly the past three months. It is a standard tool for diagnosing and monitoring diabetes, complementing day-to-day glucose readings.
What is a minimum viable product (MVP)?
An MVP is the simplest version of a product that delivers real value to early users. Launching an MVP lets you validate demand and learn fast before investing in a full build.
What is API integration?
An API (Application Programming Interface) lets software systems talk to each other. API integration connects your apps — say a website, CRM and ERP — so data flows automatically instead of being re-entered by hand.
What is a white-label platform?
A white-label platform is software built by one company and rebranded and sold by another as its own. It lets a business launch a polished, production-grade product quickly — under its own brand — without building the underlying technology from scratch.
What is an ERP system?
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software unifies core operations — finance, inventory, procurement, sales and HR — in one connected system. It replaces siloed spreadsheets and apps with a single source of truth, improving visibility and efficiency.
What is a CRM?
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software centralises your contacts, leads and deals, tracking every interaction across the sales and support journey so teams can follow up consistently and close more.
What is staff augmentation?
Staff augmentation is a flexible hiring model where skilled specialists — developers, designers, engineers — join your team on contract, scaling capacity up or down without long-term headcount. It speeds delivery while you keep control of the project.
What is locum tenens (locum staffing)?
Locum tenens means temporarily filling a professional role — most often a doctor, nurse or specialist covering shifts, leave or vacancies. Locum staffing helps healthcare providers maintain coverage without permanent hires.
What is omnichannel (versus multichannel)?
Multichannel means being present on several channels — web, store, social — that run separately. Omnichannel connects those channels into one seamless experience, with shared data and consistent messaging, so a customer can move between them without friction.
What is SEO (search engine optimization)?
Search Engine Optimization is the practice of improving a website so it ranks higher in organic (unpaid) search results — through technical health, relevant content and structured data — to earn more qualified traffic.
What is conversion rate optimization (CRO)?
Conversion Rate Optimization is the practice of increasing the share of visitors who take a desired action — a purchase, sign-up or enquiry — by improving design, copy, speed and user flow.
What is a digital business card?
A digital business card is a shareable electronic contact profile, opened via a link, QR code or NFC tap. It updates in real time, can capture leads, and replaces paper cards.
What is a digital loyalty (stamp) card?
A digital loyalty or stamp card is an app- or wallet-based version of a punch card. Customers collect stamps or points on their phone and redeem rewards — no plastic, with analytics for the business.
What is supply chain management?
Supply chain management coordinates sourcing, production, logistics and delivery to move products from suppliers to customers efficiently — balancing cost, speed, quality and stock levels.
