User guide
How to bring CT or MRI images to another doctor
Before a second opinion, ask the receiving hospital which imaging formats and transfer methods it accepts. Prepare the complete study, report and examination date. A supported authorized share can be saved through Medical Image Download; tell the clinician whether files are original or reconstructed. Clinical suitability is decided by the receiving clinician.
Steps
- Prepare the hospital imaging link, report, and any required authorization details.
- Confirm that the link opens in a browser and note any password or verification code requested.
- After download, keep the original folder structure, report, and source information together.
- Use the hospital's or recipient's secure channel and include the exam date and body part.
Please submit only records you are authorized to retrieve. The service does not provide medical advice.
Frequently asked questions
Is the report alone enough?
The report is important, but a doctor may also need the complete image series. Follow the receiving hospital's requirements.
Why keep the exam date?
It helps the doctor distinguish studies and compare changes over time.
A checklist before the appointment
- The complete folder for the current study and its report, when available.
- Relevant prior studies and reports, kept separately by exam date.
- The imaging hospital, exam date, body part, and other records requested by the receiving hospital.
- A note on whether the files are hospital source exports or converted records.
For example, group files by 2026-09-01 / CT / Images and report. This is an organization example; do not alter patient or exam information inside the files just to standardize names.
Confirm the delivery method
Ask the receiving hospital whether it accepts USB drives, discs, an upload portal, or another method, and check any size and format limits. Hospitals may not be able to open external storage links or use every outside study.
Keep the complete study folder instead of sending selected screenshots. Confirm receipt and readability after transfer. The treating doctor decides whether additional imaging is needed.
Copy a CT or MRI study to a USB drive
- Download the complete study ZIP and available report on a computer. After the download finishes, extract the whole study folder rather than selected pictures.
- Check available space. FAT32 cannot store a single file larger than 4 GB; ask the receiving hospital whether its system supports exFAT or another format. Formatting a drive erases its existing files.
- Copy the full folder and report without renaming or flattening files. Safely eject and reinsert the drive, then open a few files and compare folder size and file count.
Ask the hospital whether it accepts the USB drive and its format. You can also preview a local file or ZIP in our free online DICOM viewer. A successful preview does not guarantee acceptance by the receiving hospital.
Send cloud imaging to a doctor
Use the receiving hospital's designated upload portal when available. In a messaging app, send the complete study as a file rather than selected photos that may be compressed. Sharing links can expire: confirm that the clinician can open the files and ask what access details they need. Share medical information only with an authorized recipient, never publicly.
Need to save the files first? See the phone and computer saving guide.
Reports, screenshots and complete studies serve different purposes
A report records the hospital's written findings. A screenshot shows a selected display image. A complete DICOM study contains imaging and related information for a compatible viewer. Prepare the material requested by the clinician; a PDF should not be assumed to replace the images.
Keep repeated examinations separate by date and disclose differences in file provenance.