Scan Your Referral with Ron: Find the Right Clinic Instantly

Ron is Radly's referral scanner - a friendly little robot who reads your imaging referral and instantly matches you with clinics that perform your scan. Instead of manually searching for clinics, calling to check availability, and comparing prices - you simply photograph your referral and Ron does the work.

Here's what happens when you scan your referral:

1. Ron reads and extracts the scan type, body part, and clinical reason 2. He identifies clinics near you that perform that specific scan 3. He shows you pricing, bulk-billing availability, opening hours, and patient reviews 4. You can submit a booking enquiry directly to your preferred clinic

It turns a process that used to involve multiple phone calls into a single step.

Ron is named after Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen, the German physicist who discovered X-rays in 1895 - the discovery that started medical imaging as we know it. Röntgen received the very first Nobel Prize in Physics in 1901 for it, and his name is still everywhere in radiology today: in many languages an X-ray is literally called a "röntgen," and radiographers around the world work in "röntgen departments."

So when we built a little robot whose whole job is helping you get the right scan, there was really only one name for him. Röntgen felt a bit formal for a robot, though - so he goes by Ron.

Getting your referral to Ron is simple:

• Take a photo - Open the Radly app or website, go to Ron, and take a photo with your phone camera. Make sure the text is legible and the whole referral is in frame. • Upload an image - If you already have a photo or scanned image of your referral (JPG or PNG), you can upload it directly. PDF referrals aren't supported yet - take a photo or screenshot of the referral instead.

Ron works best with clearly printed or typed referrals. For handwritten referrals, try to photograph in good lighting. If Ron can't confidently read your referral, you can always search for clinics manually by selecting your scan type.

Ready to try it? Open Ron now.

When you scan your referral, Ron identifies:

• Scan modality - X-ray, ultrasound, CT, MRI, PET, DEXA, mammography, or nuclear medicine • Body part - which region of your body needs scanning • Clinical reason - a plain-English summary of why your doctor ordered the scan • Urgency - whether your doctor has marked the referral as urgent

This information is used to find matching clinics: you'll see clinics near you that perform your scan type, along with pricing, bulk-billing, and reviews. Details like contrast requirements and preparation will be confirmed by your clinic when they book you in.

After reading your referral, Ron matches you with clinics based on:

• Scan capability - Only clinics that perform your specific scan type are shown • Location - Clinics are ranked by distance from your location (or a suburb you specify) • Pricing - We show estimated out-of-pocket costs and whether the clinic bulk-bills • Availability - Clinics with shorter wait times are highlighted • Patient reviews - Real reviews from other patients help you choose • Equipment - For MRI, we indicate whether the machine is Medicare-licensed

You can sort and filter results based on what matters most to you - whether that's cost, convenience, or speed. Some patients want the cheapest option; others want the earliest available appointment. Ron shows you all the options so you can decide.

For tips on what to consider when choosing, read our guide on how to choose an imaging clinic.

Once you've found a clinic that works for you:

1. Tap "Book" or "Enquire" on the clinic listing 2. Confirm your details and preferred appointment time 3. The clinic receives your booking enquiry along with your referral details 4. The clinic contacts you to confirm your appointment and provide preparation instructions

You don't need to call the clinic separately or explain your referral over the phone - Radly sends all the relevant information. The clinic just needs to confirm a time slot.

For a full walkthrough of what to expect from this point forward, see our guide on what happens after a referral.

Absolutely. When you scan your referral through Radly:

• The image is encrypted during upload and processing • Only the relevant medical information is extracted (scan type, body part, etc.) • Your referral image is not stored permanently • Your data is never sold or shared with third parties • We comply with the Australian Privacy Act and Healthcare Identifiers Act

Radly handles your health information with the same level of care you'd expect from a healthcare provider. Read our privacy policy for full details.

If you'd prefer not to scan your referral, you can always search for clinics manually by selecting your scan type and location. Ron simply makes it faster.