Product Update: Study Locking Feature
Overview
OmegaAI introduces a Study Locking mechanism designed to protect finalized studies from accidental or unauthorized modifications. When a study reaches a specific configurable status, the system automatically locks it and makes it read-only across key modules— while still allowing controlled overrides for authorized users when necessary.
What's New
1. Configurable Study Locking Trigger
What changed
Study locking is triggered when a study status reaches the configured threshold defined in the workflow step mapping "Prevent Modification ≥ PRIOR." Once met, the study becomes locked and read-only. The mapping between Study Status and the Prevent Modification workflow step is fully configurable per organization.
Benefit
Organizations can define exactly at which status level a study becomes protected, providing flexibility to align locking behaviour with their specific clinical and operational workflows.
2. Read-Only Behaviour Across Worklist and Study Pages
What changed
When a study is locked, all editable study related components on the Worklist page and all study fields on the Study page become read-only. For users without special permissions, edit buttons are hidden and replaced with a lock icon. Hovering over the icon displays a tooltip indicating the study is locked and cannot be modified.
Benefit
Prevents accidental edits to finalized studies and provides clear visual feedback to users about the locked state, reducing confusion and errors.
3. Modify Locked Study – New UAC Privilege
What changed
A new User Access Control (UAC) privilege called "Modify Locked Study" has been introduced. Users assigned this privilege (e.g., QA personnel, lead technologists) can see the Edit button on locked studies. When saving changes, a confirmation dialog is displayed: "This study is currently locked. Are you sure you want to proceed with modifications?" — requiring explicit confirmation before changes are applied.
Benefit
Enables controlled overrides for authorized users without compromising the integrity protections applied to all other users, supporting both compliance and operational flexibility.
4. Image Ingestion Supported for Locked Studies
What changed
OmegaAI can continue to receive and ingest new DICOM images into locked studies through all ingestion paths, including standard image routing workflows. Image and series counts are automatically updated upon ingestion. However, protected metadata — including patient information, study descriptions, and order details — remains unchanged.
Benefit
Ensures critical imaging operations are not blocked by locking, while still safeguarding finalized study metadata from being overwritten or altered unintentionally.
5. Audit Logging for Locking Activity
What changed
OmegaAI now logs all activities related to study locking, including configuration changes to locking settings, successful image ingestion into locked studies, privileged user overrides, and blocked modification attempts by unauthorized users.
Benefit
Provides a complete audit trail for compliance, traceability, and regulatory requirements, ensuring full operational transparency around finalized imaging studies.
Important Notes
- Locked studies are read-only for all users without the “Modify Locked Study” UAC priviledge,— edit buttons are hidden on study information page and cannot be accessed.
- The locking threshold is configurable per organization via the workflow step mapping; changes to this configuration are audit-logged.
- Image ingestion into locked studies is permitted, but protected metadata fields cannot be overwritten during ingestion.
- Users with the "Modify Locked Study" privilege must explicitly confirm the intent to modify via the system confirmation dialog before changes are saved.
- Study locking applies across the Worklist and Study pages; ensure all relevant user roles are reviewed and updated with appropriate UAC privileges post-release.
Where to Find It
Locking Configuration:
Admin → Workflow Settings → Study Status Mapping → Prevent Modification
UAC Privilege Assignment:
Admin → User Access Control → Roles → Modify Locked Study
Lock Icon & Read-Only Behavior:
Worklist → Study Row | Study → Study Details Page
Audit Logs:
Admin → Audit Logs → Study Locking Activity