If you’ve had any kind of medical scan, have you been shown the images?

[AintNobodyHereButUsChickens]

Random thought of the night while I can’t sleep.

Back in 2017 I had a CT scan and told I had shingles, in 2021 I had an Xray and told I have arthritis, in 2022 I had an MRI and told I had a slipped disc. I was never shown the images from any of these scans! Same with my mum, back in 2023 she was diagnosed with cancer but I don’t believe she was shown the images either, and neither were we when they told us they’d done more scans which showed it was rapidly progressing.

The only scans I’ve had that I’ve seen the images of are my pregnancies.

Why were we never shown the images? Is that normal practice? I’d like to see them, especially with my back problem, I’d like a visual so I can understand it better. Would my GP have the images on file or are they just sent the final reports by radiology?

My son has had a lot of CT scans due to him having cancer and we were never shown. Just told where his cancer was and the size, then we were told that chemotherapy was working as it was reducing as much as they were hoping for and then just before he finished treatment they wanted this scan to be clear and thankfully it was.

I wouldn't have minded actually seeing the scans but I never asked at the time and they never offered to show me.

Yes, I've been shown (and was asked if I wanted a copy of the images from my first colonoscopy, because it was so spectacularly bad - I declined!). I've always shown an interest, though, and have watched my various colonoscopies and colposcopies 'live' on the screen.

I was shown by knee MRI after surgery. He was quite pleased to show me how bad it was and tell me what they had been able to do.

I've also seen a CT scan of my lungs - part of a regular monitoring I have to go to. Was also shown the Xray.

In both cases something was wrong - so I guess if you haven't seen them that's a good thing!

My GP and neurosurgeon have both shown me my brain tumour on MRI scans.

Iv seen scans before but I don't particularly understand what I'm looking at it's usually during an outpatients appointment after the result and their pointing at it on the computer screen why they are explaining what they have found its really not interesting your not missing out on anything

All private ones I have seen and got a copy, my Orthopaedic surgeon loves showing me all of the images :) Not seen any NHS Xrays but did see a CT scan before a Septoplasty to show how wonky everything was - they don't seem to like to share normally, I love looking at them, really interesting 😂

I have seen my daughter’s brain scans once briefly on a screen when she was born and when she was 7. I got to see the ones from when she was 7 again about a year ago, and the consultant let me take a pic with my phone so I could explain it to my other child to help her understand her sister

I have been asked if I want to see X-rays and Pet-scans. In the latter case by the Oncologist prescribing radio therapy.
The nurse who inserted my PICC line asked it I wanted to watch and being a ghoul, I did.

I lived for a while in the US and DH was given copies of scans and XRays he had, so he could take them to our next location should the problem resurface.

@Figcherry

I live in France. We are sent our images through the post for mammograms etc.
Dh had an MRI and was given the disc with the scan on.

Similar here, have a couple of abdominal CT scans on disks that'll display quite happily on any Windows equipped machine...

Makes a change from watching French domestic TV....🤔

Radiologists train for a lot of years to interpret scans. If you did see them what would you get out of it?

It’s not like an ultrasound of a baby which is fairly self explanatory. A CT or MRI of a brain, spine or abdomen is not easy to read unless you have a good knowledge of normal and abnormal anatomy. Even a plain X ray can be misleading unless you know how different tissues appear radiologically.

They are largely digital these days anyway so no one has the actual films to give out. You would need a specialist programme to be able to load them which takes a lot of computing power to get the resolution.

Used to work in a scanning dept. No, we didn’t share images routinely. They were complex and need to be read by an experienced radiologist; not even the non-radiologist doctors could really read them properly. Patients wouldn’t generally know what they’re looking at. The only exception was for private patients, who would likely need them to go and visit an external specialist after having their diagnostic imaging done.

I was asked if I wanted to see them, but said "no".

Had private neurologist appointment where he sent me straight down for an MRI, then back to his office where he showed me the scan results with a huge black area on the left side which was my tumour. Pretty horrifying that that was inside my head!

You can submit a Subject Access Request (SAR) to the hospital which performed the scans to obtain a copy of the images and the accompany radiologist report. If you submit a SAR you need to ask for both the images and the report.

Your hospital website will probably have a page explaining their procedure for SARs - they usually have a specific contact and a form to fill out.

Scan images are generally not very easy to interpret as a lay person, but the radiology report makes them more meaningful and in my experience usually contains more detail than the consultant or GP will have passed on.

You would need a specialist programme to be able to load them which takes a lot of computing power to get the resolution.

Not really. My hospital just sends you a link to an imaging portal where you can view them.

I tend to ask to see images, but as a dentist I am familiar with what I’m looking at. Not an expert with other parts of the body but I can tell the difference between what’s normal and what isn’t.
From experience with the general public some are able to look at an X-ray of their teeth and with a bit of help can make out their outline but many are clueless. As students we had to study the anatomy and physiology of the whole body and I can find my way around an MRI. CT scans are xrays so a little easier.
I love ultrasound but remember being totally lost the first time I watched one. You have to remember that they change as you move the probe around.
On the whole though, unless you specialise in the area being examined then they might as well be images of outer space. OK if you’re an astrophysicist but for the rest of us totally pointless.

We must have had the same lady scan us. I was told that I wouldn't understand it and it was for the doctor to see. Well sure, but also it is my liver, I'd like to know. And I wouldn't see the doctor again for six months.

My surgeon and consultant tried to show me my tumor in my chest area from ct scan. But I told them I didn’t want to see it. They were really nice about it. I did look at it after it was removed plus saw all my chest x rays after my operation.

Yes, all sorts of scans, mri, they offer or I ask. They need to show you to rxplain.

The only time it's not happened was a second breast scan - the bloke scanned one offending breast, for a second opinion as the earlier day scan was showing up a likely issue So couldnt go home. They wouldn't let my dh in, which was upsetting.
The consultant explained it later, to us both, using the scan pics and a little stick.

The best are the eye ones. I asked for the pics because eyes look like a magical orb of colours and light. Great abstract artwork:)

I'm in Australia and you're always shown the scans though not always with the report, on the spot, which goes to the GP. Depending on who's scanning, they'll talk through what they see as there is a diagnostic as well as a technician. In some places the scans are sent to you as well as the GP.

Before this we had to take our scans and X-rays home with us.

This reminds me. I should go through them and re-cycle the ones that have silver in them.

Thanks all, so I asked my GP and the doctor responded that they don’t receive the images and they’re difficult to read anyway, but if I really wanted to try and get them then I could try contacting the hospital the MRI was done at. So that’s what I’m going to do, I hope they keep them on file!

Yes to all but one.

xray for broken bone - shown the xray and walked through it

Brain scan - same as above

CT Scan and Xray on abdomen - shown it and walked through diagnosis plus can download scans from an app.

Scan of lungs ahead of new medication - not shown as nothing wrong in the scan

My MRI images were sent to me by email. This was private though. When I had my gallbladder put the consultant asked me afterwards if I wanted to see the images and it was fascinating. DH thought I was going to ask for a copy!

You can get them by submitting a dsar to the hospital. However many are meaningless without someone to talk you through. I saw some xrays yesterday and could barely pick out the features described.

Yes, my dc was involved in a horrific rta some years back, and I was shown (we both were) the breaks in his bones, and no we didn’t specifically ask.

Also, as a migraine sufferer, I had MRI scans, and was shown the scans that indicated I had suffered infarctions… again, not requested.