Current status, challenges and future development of self-service appointment platforms in hospital radiology departments in China: a narrative review.

In recent years, China has accelerated the implementation of precision medicine strategy, integrating accuracy, individualized care and evidence-based decision-making into clinical diagnosis and treatment. Meanwhile, the expansion of smart-hospital and the requirement of Level-5 electronic medical record (EMR) certification have made digital upgrading an indispensable component of radiological services. As a result, self-service appointment is increasingly replacing conventional manual registration and has become an important part of the digital infrastructure of modern radiology departments, with an increasing proportion of administrative pressure, and enhance overall operational performance. Nevertheless, their effectiveness remains restricted by several deficiencies, including limited differentiation among examination workflows, insufficient risk assessment before imaging procedures, inadequate accessibility for older adults, and delayed information exchange between heterogeneous systems; therefore, future improvement should focus on three major directions: (a) AI-supported scheduling tailored to individual patient needs, (b) closed-loop management covering the entire examination process, and (c) coordinated appointment mechanisms involving multiple clinical disciplines, thereby advancing radiology services toward a more refined, intelligent, and patient-centered model.