Understanding Your Imaging Requisition in Ajax

What exactly is that sheet of paper your doctor handed you on the way out of the appointment? It is covered in checkboxes, abbreviations and a few handwritten or printed notes, and it is easy to tuck it into a bag and forget about it until the day of your scan. Yet that single page does a surprising amount of work. It tells an imaging clinic who you are, which test you need, why your provider is asking for it, and where the results should go afterwards.

This article walks through the imaging requisition from a patient’s point of view: what it is, what is usually on it, how to read it, how to use it to book, and what happens to the information once your exam is done. Whether you live in Ajax, Pickering, Whitby or elsewhere in Durham Region, understanding the form can save you a phone call or two and help your appointment run smoothly.

A requisition is a request, not a result

A requisition is a formal request from a health-care provider to a diagnostic facility asking it to perform a specific test. Think of it as a set of instructions passed from your provider to the imaging team.

It is worth separating the requisition from two things it is often confused with:

• It is not a booking. Having the form does not mean an appointment has been made for you. In most cases, you or your provider’s office still need to contact the clinic to arrange a time.
• It is not a report. The requisition goes in before the exam. The report, which describes the findings, comes out afterwards and is sent back to the provider who ordered the test.

Once you see it as a request travelling in one direction and a report travelling back in the other, the whole process becomes easier to follow.

What is usually on the form

Requisition designs vary from clinic to clinic, but most contain the same core information. On the Rossland Diagnostic Clinic requisition, your provider selects the requested examination and includes the relevant clinical details. Broadly, you can expect to see:

1. Your identifying information, such as your name, date of birth, contact details and health card number.
2. The exam requested. This is usually a checkbox or written line, for example a pelvic ultrasound, a shoulder X-ray or a bone mineral density test.
3. The body area and side, where relevant. A knee ultrasound might specify left or right, and some forms allow a provider to request both sides.
4. Clinical information. A short note explaining the reason for the test, such as symptoms or what the provider wants to assess. This helps the imaging team focus on the right question.
5. The ordering provider’s details and signature, so the clinic knows who requested the exam and where to send the report.
6. Any copy-to providers, if your provider wants another clinician to receive the report as well.

You do not need to understand every abbreviation. The imaging team reads these forms every day. Still, a quick look before you leave your provider’s office can catch simple issues, such as a missing signature or the wrong side being checked.

Who fills it out

Your health-care provider, or their office, completes the requisition. You should not need to fill in the clinical parts yourself.

For referring physicians, Rossland Diagnostic Clinic offers its 2026 requisition in several formats. Offices can download a printable PDF, add the form to their electronic medical record system through Accuro’s Standard Forms library, import it as a custom form in Telus Health PS Suite or as an eForm in OSCAR, or request printed requisition pads for their clinic. Physicians can find all of this on our requisition page for physicians.

From a patient’s point of view, this simply means your provider may print the form for you, send it electronically through their own process, or hand you a pre-printed pad copy. Any of these is fine; the important part is that the information reaches the clinic and that you know which exam you are booking.

Reading your requisition before you call

When you sit down to book, keep the requisition in front of you. A few details are especially useful.

The exam name

The exam name tells you, and the clinic, which preparation instructions apply. Ultrasound in particular comes in several forms: general, obstetrical, musculoskeletal and vascular. A pelvic ultrasound may need a full bladder, while some abdominal exams need fasting. Knowing the exact exam lets our team give you the right instructions.

Anything marked as a priority

If your provider has indicated that an exam should be done soon, mention it when you call. The clinic’s team can then discuss available times with you.

Instructions from your provider

Occasionally a provider will add a personal note, such as asking for a scan to be done at a particular stage of pregnancy or after a course of medication. If anything is unclear, ask the provider’s office before your appointment.

Your contact details

Check that your phone number is current, so the clinic can reach you if anything about your booking needs to change.

Which exams need a requisition

Most diagnostic exams require a requisition from a health-care provider. There are a few situations worth knowing about.

• Ultrasound. General, obstetrical, musculoskeletal and vascular ultrasound are ordered by a provider using a requisition.
• X-ray. Our general X-ray service operates on a walk-in basis during opening hours. Walk-in describes how you are seen, without a scheduled appointment; bring the requisition your provider gave you. The department may close once daily capacity is reached, so calling ahead for live availability is a good idea.
• Bone mineral density. A referral is required, and you should bring your requisition along with your health card.
• Mammography. This is one notable exception. Through the Ontario Breast Screening Program, eligible people aged 40 to 74 can book a routine screening mammogram themselves, without a referral. Diagnostic mammograms for a specific concern are a different matter and are arranged through your provider.
• Durham Cardiology. Cardiac tests such as echocardiograms, stress tests and Holter monitors require a signed requisition. The cardiology team has its own requisition, available on the Durham Cardiology page.
• Immigration chest X-ray. This exam is part of the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada medical process. Instead of a standard requisition, you bring your identification and the paperwork from your panel physician.

Using your requisition to book

The referral pathway at our Ajax clinic is simple. Your provider completes the requisition, then directs you to the clinic, and our team helps with appointment availability and preparation guidance.

You can:

• Call us at 905-426-3111 with your requisition in hand, or
• Request an appointment online through our booking page, and a member of our team will contact you to confirm availability.

When we speak, we will confirm the exam, find a time that suits you and explain any preparation. If you have more than one test on your requisition, ask whether they can be scheduled on the same visit. Sometimes that is possible, and sometimes preparation requirements make separate visits more practical.

If your requisition goes missing

Paper has a way of disappearing between the doctor’s office and the kitchen counter. If you cannot find your requisition, contact the office of the provider who ordered the test. They can tell you whether a new copy can be printed or sent, and confirm exactly which exam was requested. It is better to sort this out before your appointment than to discover on the day that the form is not with you.

If you are not sure which clinic to use

A requisition may be printed on one clinic’s form, but patients in Ajax and the surrounding area often ask whether they can bring it elsewhere. If you have questions about using a requisition at our Ajax clinic, call us and our team can talk it through with you.

On the day of your exam

Bring two things with you:

1. Your requisition, the same form you used when booking.
2. Your valid health card.

It also helps to bring a list of current medications, especially for cardiac tests, and to arrive a few minutes early so registration does not eat into your exam time. Our clinic has free parking and ground-floor access, which makes arrival easier for everyone.

Where the report goes afterwards

Once your exam is complete and the report is finalized, it is returned to the referring provider named on your requisition. That is why the provider section of the form matters so much: it tells us where the report needs to go.

Your provider then reviews the findings and discusses them with you, including what they mean for your care. If you want to know whether your report has arrived, the provider’s office is usually the best first call.

Key takeaways

• A requisition is a request from your provider to the imaging clinic. It is not a booking and it is not a result.
• It names the exam, the reason for it and the provider who should receive the report.
• Most exams need one. Routine OBSP screening mammography for eligible people aged 40 to 74 is a notable exception.
• Keep it handy when you call to book, and bring it with your health card on the day.
• Reports go back to the ordering provider, who discusses them with you.

If you have a requisition from your provider and would like to book an exam at our Ajax clinic, call us at 905-426-3111 or request an appointment online. We are happy to help you make sense of the form.