Does anybody know if the images of your thyroid... - Thyroid UK

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Does anybody know if the images of your thyroid ultrasound are sent to your doctor??

Rmichelle profile image
33 Replies

Hi all, i had my thyroid ultrasound done a few weeks back and even though ive had a copy of the notes of the findings and had to send a copy to my endo, i am now thinking do the doctors get the pictures of the scan?

Im asking because if they do i will need to get them to send to endo as he is out of area and docs wont send it automatically without me giving the nod.

Thankyou as always.

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Rmichelle profile image
Rmichelle
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33 Replies
bantam12 profile image
bantam12

They normally just get a report, doubt they could interpret scans anyway !

Rmichelle profile image
Rmichelle in reply tobantam12

Thankyou just dont want to go to appointment and forgotten something. I think you were being abit sarky there about endos not being able to interpret-if you were, i totally agree as my endo is just as useless as the next persons.☺

LAHs profile image
LAHs in reply toRmichelle

From my experience the doctors take the opinion of the radiologist as to the diagnosis. I was quite surprised when I took an X-ray to my usual GP because I was alarmed at a "spot" on it. He said, "Well look here, the radiologist says its a small calcified fibroid." Well yes I had read that too but I was shocked at his lack of interest in what else it could possibly be.

Rmichelle profile image
Rmichelle in reply toLAHs

Hi lahs-it would be interesting to see a copy of my ultrsound scan if possible but i surpose there is no way of getting hold of it really, i can believe tbey dont give all info to patient but i could always get a private scan done.x

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministrator in reply toRmichelle

There very much is a way. Ask and pay! They will burn a CD of it. Probably including a viewer app so you can access it.

Rmichelle profile image
Rmichelle in reply tohelvella

Yes hevella i thought there would be a price for this😨 just mentioned in a thread just do i ring ultrasound department? I hope its not more than £60!! Or it will have to wait a little time.

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministrator in reply toRmichelle

Start by ringing- no idea how costs vary. And I did assume a digital process!

Rmichelle profile image
Rmichelle in reply tohelvella

Yes i will ring now.x

Peanut31 profile image
Peanut31

Hi Rmichelle,

When I had my thyroid scan, the written report was sent to my Endocrinologist only.

I then asked him to forward me a copy for my records.

Best wishes

Rmichelle profile image
Rmichelle in reply toPeanut31

Hi peanut i have copies of the results notes and so does my endo but just began wondering do docs get sent the images or do they remain at hospital.😊

bantam12 profile image
bantam12 in reply toRmichelle

Scans and so on are assessed by radiologists who then send the report to whoever requested the test, the GP, Endo or whoever in many cases then chooses to ignore that report ! I've had it happen to me on several occasions 😡

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministrator

Rmichelle,

Scans are very often nowadays entirely digital. That means, technically, anyone with access can view them and there is no physical scan to be sent. Just a link of some sort.

Whether an out of area consultant can gain access is another question - and I do not know the answer. I don't even know if your GP could view the scan. But it does mean your GP won't have a scan to send.

Stourie profile image
Stourie in reply tohelvella

I think that if the endo has her chi number then he can access her records. Can't say 100%. xx

LAHs profile image
LAHs in reply tohelvella

You can actually request a copy of your X-ray/ ultrasound and as a matter of fact you can even get a CD of your MRI. I was very amused at seeing on you-tube dozens of videos of things like: "A trip through my left leg", "Wow,look at my brain!", "A trip down my oesophagus" etc. etc. They are all there you can find them on you-tube - geez, can you imagine that.

Rmichelle profile image
Rmichelle in reply toLAHs

Sorry i have responded back to you before i saw your last reply- very interested in seeing a copy of my ulrasound scan, where to start though? Do i request copy through hospital?

LAHs profile image
LAHs in reply toRmichelle

Well, I went back to the radiologist's office and the receptionist asked me to wait for about 5 minutes and she brought one back for me on a CD, it cost a small nominal amount, I can't remember exactly how much but it wasn't much. I printed them out on my printer at home. I even asked for an interview with the radiologist so that I could get the analysis from the horses mouth.

Rmichelle profile image
Rmichelle in reply toLAHs

Wow that quick-dont know whether you have read my recent apdate below but i have requested a copy from the hospital but had to go through their legal department and they are emailing me a request form to fill in and then when payment has been taken they will send or arrange disc to be collected, they said it will cost around 30.00. How long ago did you get yours ? Was it before ir these procols come in to effect? Wish i could just walk in and wham bam thankyou mam!! Oh i also have to send copy of my passport aswell. Anyone would think i wanted the crown jewels.💂

LAHs profile image
LAHs in reply toRmichelle

Sorry Rmichellle, I am in the US so maybe it is different. But the principal is still the same: Who did it? Go see them and ask for their product (your results).

Rmichelle profile image
Rmichelle in reply toLAHs

Hi Lahs yes it is totally different in uk with the nhs system-there is no way they would see to something straight away. Ha. It's all about waiting!!😨

Emilym12 profile image
Emilym12

I think it depends where you are based - I had a thyroid ultrasound in Kuwait and got given a couple of pages ultrasound image print outs alongside the report from the radiologist, but then when I had the same scan in the UK the ENT just got given a report by the radiologist. I think what other people have said is correct, the radiologist interprets what they see hence the report. I’m not sure anyone in the UK gave the photos I showed them a second thought, just read the report. From my experience in Kuwait it was all digital, i guess it just depends on what the protocol is about sharing your information with other hospitals / doctors (despite it being your information!)

Rmichelle profile image
Rmichelle

Yes thankyou everyone-ive made sure endo has report on findings and then thought what about the imaging- i am in shropshire but the chosen hospital was west midlands so anything i have done in shropshire doesnt automatically get sent to endo unless i make arrangements for it to do so!! 😕

purple64 profile image
purple64

I'm not so sure that they do. I had 2 blood tests and because the forms I gave to the nurse at my GP surgery had been given to me by the hospital my GP didn't get a copy of the results. My GP asked me to chase them up😱 and when eventually I had to go through PALS to get them she wasn't too happy 🙄 tough😂

Rmichelle profile image
Rmichelle

Hi purple64 its a bit of a runaround when you go out of area as you are responsible for chasing tests and results as gp and hospital endo dont communicate as its not my local hospital. I went to a midlands hospital because my first endo appointment was earlier than any local hospital!! 2 months earlier, my next one is next week, i just thought whenever you get a test done scan etc the gp gets sent a copy also- perhaps i have been watching too much holby city!!😊

purple64 profile image
purple64 in reply toRmichelle

I go to the hospital within my area and they still don't communicate 🙄my next appointment is 13th Dec so will see what they have to say. I might ask why they don't send results to GP as they are the ones who treat you on between hospital appointment

Rmichelle profile image
Rmichelle in reply topurple64

You see i have my thyroid bloods done atmy local hospital and they send them to docs but doc wont forward to gp off theur own back, i go in and get a copy fir me and endo but if receptionists are feeling generous they will fax through!! However when i was taken into hospital with a suspected whooping cough and they took bloods the hospital did not send them to docs, i had to get receptionists to call blood department and request them. I think you get used to it in the end -it does help if you know what you are doing and where to go.x

Starfish123 profile image
Starfish123

Years ago my dr was able to login to the hospital system and look up results of blood test and access my hospital file to confirm my diagnosis where the Endo hadn’t told me anything. I would have thought the system should allow the Drs now to do more than that.

Haze1975 profile image
Haze1975

2013! My doctors had the test results before I saw my endo. I only got to know what was wrong because I’d asked If they had the results back yet. They said I would have to make a phone call. So I did. But the doctor rang me before my appointment and told me it would be better to come down. So I did. And when I saw the endo on Monday he went made that my doctor had already told me. But it wasn’t there fault. It was Mine.

You wore lucky to get sent the report. Because I never got one.

Rmichelle profile image
Rmichelle in reply toHaze1975

I have to request everything for myself and for endo otherwise he doesnt get sent anything but endo will send info on what happened at the app, but doesnt happen at docs end. I found out that my friends dad who is poorly with a heart condition as to do the same as me because he is not at a local hospital and with the many tests he has to undergo its ridiculous.😊

bantam12 profile image
bantam12 in reply toRmichelle

It's not unusual for patients to have to deal with sorting out communication between various drs and hospitals especially if these are in different areas, my husband and I have to do it all the time as we both attend hospitals outside our GP area and in different counties. It's much safer to do it yourself as you know all letters, results and reports are where they should be.

SilverAvocado profile image
SilverAvocado

My Endo (hospital) and GP records have always been completely separate. The only thing the GP knows is letters the hospital consultants specifically write to them. These are usually after I've seen them, and are of the totally vague kind 'this result was normal'.

I recently went for an ultrasound, and there were a lot of posters up making clear the doctor who ordered the test will get the results. Although I have no idea if that doctor is out area.

Haze1975 profile image
Haze1975 in reply toSilverAvocado

Id forgotten about that. I’d used to deal with two hospitals and the doctors. The doctors and the hospital was I. The same area they could see each other’s Work. But the one that wasn’t in the area we had to make sure I’d had blood test done there because they couldn’t see the result but it was in a different area.

Rmichelle profile image
Rmichelle in reply toHaze1975

Hi haze they said i could have my bloods done at hospital in west midlands but not going to travel there every 4 weeks by train and then taxi to get bloods done, easier to get them done at local hospital then forward to endo. 😊

Rmichelle profile image
Rmichelle

Hi all i have rang hospital legal medical team for a disc of my thyroid scan and the are sending me a request form through via e-mail and also i have to send copy of my passport for proof its me. Said it could be around £30 but certainly not more than£50. I just think it would be good to view this myself.😊

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