Getting Copies of Your Imaging in Ajax

Sooner or later, many patients hear a version of the same request: “Can you bring your images with you?” It might come from an orthopaedic surgeon’s office before a first consultation, from a physiotherapist trying to understand an old injury, or from a new family doctor after a move. It sounds simple until you realize you are not quite sure what “your images” are, where they live, or how to get them.

Here is the short version, before we go into detail:

1. Imaging produces two different things: the images themselves and a written report about them.
2. Your provider usually receives the report automatically. The images often stay with the facility that took them unless someone asks for them.
3. If a specialist or another provider needs the actual pictures, you can ask the facility for a copy, which for X-ray is commonly provided on a CD.
4. At Rossland Diagnostic Clinic in Ajax, X-ray images can be provided on CD when needed. Call the clinic to confirm how to request them for your exam.
5. Keep a simple record of where and when you had each test. It saves time later.

The rest of this article fills in the details for patients in Ajax, Pickering, Whitby and the wider Durham area.

Images and reports are not the same thing

When you have an X-ray or ultrasound, the technologist or sonographer captures a set of images. Those images are then interpreted, and a written report is prepared describing what was seen. The report goes to the provider who ordered the test. We describe that journey in more depth in how imaging results reach your doctor, so we will not repeat it here.

The distinction matters because different people need different things:

• Your family doctor usually works from the report. It summarizes the findings in words and is what most follow-up decisions are based on.
• A specialist, such as an orthopaedic surgeon, often wants to look at the pictures themselves, especially for bones and joints. They may want to measure something, compare angles, or see a detail in their own way.
• A future imaging department may want earlier images to compare with new ones. Comparison is one of the most useful tools in imaging, because change over time can matter more than any single picture.

When someone asks you for “your imaging,” it is worth asking a quick follow-up question: do they need the report, the images, or both?

Situations where copies come in handy

You do not need copies of every test. These are the situations where they tend to be most useful:

A referral to a specialist

If your provider refers you to a specialist, the specialist’s office may ask you to bring images on a disc to your first appointment. This is particularly common for fractures, joint problems and spine concerns. If your referral relates to a healing break, our article on follow-up X-rays for fractures explains why comparison images matter so much.

Changing family doctors or moving

When you move to a new community or join a new practice, your records do not always follow you automatically. Having a copy of key imaging, or at least knowing where it was done, makes it easier for your new provider to get a complete picture.

A second opinion

Some patients choose to seek a second opinion about a diagnosis or treatment plan. The second provider will usually want to review the original images rather than rely only on someone else’s description.

Ongoing monitoring

People with long-term conditions, such as scoliosis or arthritis, may have the same area imaged periodically, sometimes at different facilities. Earlier images give the reader something to compare against, which can make the newest image far more informative.

How to request copies at our Ajax clinic

For X-ray exams done at Rossland Diagnostic Clinic, images can be provided on CD when needed. Because the process may differ depending on the exam and on who is requesting the copy, the most reliable approach is to call the clinic at 905-426-3111 and ask. Useful things to have ready when you call:

• Your full name and date of birth as they appear on your health card
• The type of exam and the approximate date you had it
• The name of the provider who ordered it
• Where the copy is going, for example to you or directly to a specialist’s office
• When you need it by, especially if you have a specialist appointment coming up

Please ask the front desk to confirm what identification you will need when picking up a copy, whether a written request or signature is required, and how long it usually takes to prepare. We would rather you hear those details directly from the team than guess, because they can vary.

Asking at the time of your exam

If you already know a specialist will want your images, say so when you check in for your X-ray. It is often simpler to arrange things up front than to call back weeks later.

Ultrasound, mammography and other tests

If you need copies of a different type of exam, such as an ultrasound, call the clinic to ask what is available for that exam. Different kinds of imaging are stored and shared in different ways, so it is best to confirm rather than assume.

Immigration X-rays are a separate case

If your chest X-ray was done as part of an immigration medical exam, the images are submitted electronically through the eMedical system. That process is designed so you do not need to carry a disc to your panel physician. Our article on how eMedical sends immigration X-ray results explains that system.

What is on the disc

A CD of medical images usually contains the images in a standard medical format along with, in many cases, a small viewer program. Specialists’ offices and hospitals generally have systems designed to read these discs.

A few practical notes:

• Your home computer may not have a disc drive. Many newer laptops do not. That is fine. The disc is mainly meant for the provider who will receive it, and their office will have a way to open it.
• The viewer may not run on every system. If you are curious and want to look, you may find the viewer works on some computers and not others. Do not worry if it does not open for you.
• The disc may not include the report. If the receiving provider needs the written report as well, ask about that separately, or ask your ordering provider for a copy of the report.
• Handle it like a document. Keep it in its sleeve, away from heat and scratches, and write nothing on the shiny side.

Looking at your own images

It is natural to be curious, and some people find it helpful to see the pictures. If you do look, keep this in mind: reading medical images is a specialized skill that takes years of training. Normal anatomy can look strange to an untrained eye, and real findings can be invisible. Shadows, overlapping structures and markers placed by the technologist can all look like something they are not.

So treat your own viewing as a window into the process, not as a way to get answers. Any questions about what the images show belong with your health-care provider.

Your rights, in plain terms

In Ontario, health privacy law generally gives people the right to request access to their own health records, which includes imaging. Facilities have processes for handling those requests, and they need to confirm identity before releasing information, which is why the clinic may ask you to show ID or sign a request. If someone else is picking up a copy on your behalf, such as a family member or caregiver, call ahead to ask what authorization is needed.

Build a simple imaging record

One of the most helpful habits you can develop takes about two minutes per test. Keep a running list, on paper or in a notes app, with:

• The date of the exam
• The type of exam and body area, such as “X-ray, left wrist, two views”
• The facility name and phone number
• The provider who ordered it
• Whether you have a copy of the images, and where you keep it

If you care for an older parent or a child with a long-term condition, keeping this kind of list for them can be even more valuable. When a new provider asks, “Have you had this imaged before?” you will have the answer in seconds instead of searching through memory. Store any discs together in one envelope or folder, with the list tucked inside.

A note on timing

If you are told to bring images to a specialist appointment, request them as soon as you know about the appointment rather than the day before. Preparing a copy is not always instant, and having a little buffer avoids a stressful scramble. If the appointment is still weeks away, there is no harm in calling early.

It also helps to check what the specialist’s office actually wants before you request anything. Some offices only need images from a particular date, while others want every study of a certain area. A quick call to their reception desk can save you from collecting more than you need, or from arriving without the one image they were hoping to see. Patients travelling from Ajax to a hospital or specialist clinic elsewhere in the Greater Toronto Area often find this small step makes the first visit noticeably smoother.

Finally, once a disc has been handed over, ask whether the office will keep it or return it. Some offices copy the images into their own system and hand the disc back; others keep it on file. If it stays with them and you think you will need another copy later, you can request one at that point.

If you have questions about getting a copy of an X-ray done at Rossland Diagnostic Clinic, call us at 905-426-3111 during our hours, Monday to Friday from 9:00am to 5:00pm and Saturday from 8:00am to 3:30pm. To arrange a new scheduled exam, you can also request an appointment online.