How to Get X-Rays, MRI and CT Scans Sent to Another Doctor

Imaging is the part of a records transfer that most often goes missing. Your chart moves, the radiology report moves, and the actual images stay behind on a hospital server. For a new specialist, a surgeon, or a second opinion, the images usually matter more than the report.

The short version

Request images from the radiology or imaging department (or the imaging center's film library), not the doctor's office.
Ask for the images in DICOM format (the medical imaging standard) plus the written report.
Delivery options: CD/DVD or USB, a download link, or an image-sharing network the receiving hospital participates in.
Bring old studies for comparison; "is this new?" is often the key question.
Images you request for yourself are covered by the HIPAA right of access, with cost-based fees and a 30-day deadline.

Step by step

Find where the scan was done. An outpatient imaging center, a hospital radiology department, and an orthopedic office with its own X-ray machine all keep their own archives (PACS). The ordering doctor's office often has only the report.
Ask the receiving office how it wants images. Many large health systems prefer a cloud image-exchange upload; some still accept discs; some ask you to bring the disc to the visit so it can be imported.
Submit the request. Most imaging departments have a short "image release" or "film library" form. List each study: body part, type (MRI, CT, X-ray, ultrasound, mammogram), date, and location. Ask for "DICOM images and reports."
Choose delivery. For in-person pickup, a disc is often ready the same day or within a few days. Mailed discs take longer. Electronic exchange can be fastest when both sides use the same network.
Check the disc before the appointment. It should contain a DICOMDIR file or a folder of images, often with a built-in viewer. Do not open and "save" images in another program; that can strip the medical data.
Confirm receipt. Ask the receiving office to confirm the images were imported and are viewable, not just that "a CD arrived."

Mammograms are special

Comparison with prior mammograms is central to breast imaging. Under the federal Mammography Quality Standards Act, facilities must keep mammograms and, on request, transfer the original or copies to you or to another facility. Ask the new facility to request priors before your appointment.

Pathology slides

For a cancer second opinion, the consulting center usually wants the actual pathology slides or tissue blocks, not just the pathology report. These are requested from the pathology department of the hospital or lab that processed the biopsy, are often loaned rather than given, and are sent courier-to-courier. See getting a second opinion remotely.

Fees and timelines

If you request images for yourself, HIPAA's right of access applies: the facility must respond within 30 days (one 30-day extension with written notice) and may charge only a reasonable, cost-based fee such as the disc and the labor to copy it. When images go directly to another provider, fees depend on state law and facility policy; many facilities do not charge other treating providers. Details are in records fees and refusals.

Sharing images for a telehealth visit

A remote specialist cannot open a CD you hold up to the camera. Ask the remote practice for its upload link, or have the imaging facility send the study through an image-exchange network. Allow extra time; uploading a large MRI or CT can take a while on a home connection.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get my X-rays or MRI sent to another doctor?

Ask the radiology or imaging department (not the doctor's front desk) for the images in DICOM format and the radiologist's report. They can burn a CD or USB drive, upload to an image-sharing network the receiving hospital uses, or give you a download link. Confirm with the receiving office which method it accepts.

Is the radiology report enough?

Not for a specialist or second opinion. The report is the radiologist's interpretation; the receiving doctor or radiologist usually wants to look at the images themselves, and to compare old and new studies.

Can the hospital charge for an imaging CD?

If you request the images for yourself, HIPAA limits the charge to a reasonable cost-based fee such as the cost of the disc and labor. Fees for sending images directly to another provider are governed mainly by state law and hospital policy.

Getting X-rays, MRIs and CT scans sent to another doctor