How to send an MRI to another doctor (safely)
You have an MRI from hospital A and want hospital B to see it. Three practical paths: give them the original CD, upload via their patient portal, or use a ZIP share package. This guide walks through each option in plain language. Your doctor still interprets the scan.
Quick answer (3 steps)
- Locate the full study on CD, USB, or your computer (the whole DICOM folder, not just one picture).
- Choose how to move it: hand over the disc, use the new hospital's patient portal upload, or send a ZIP if the clinic agrees.
- Confirm the receiving office can open DICOM — if not, point them to OpenMyScan in a browser; nothing has to upload to OpenMyScan's servers.
Step 1 — Hand them the CD or USB
If you still have the original disc or stick the first hospital gave you, this is often the easiest path. Drop off the physical media at the new clinic's radiology desk or mail it with tracking. Include any paper that lists your name and the exam date. Ask the desk whether they prefer the raw folder or the whole disc image — either way, keep a copy on your own computer first so you are not left with only one fragile copy.
On Mac or Windows, copy the DICOM folder to your Desktop before you hand anything over, then open it locally in OpenMyScan if you want to preview what you are sharing.
Step 2 — Use the new hospital's patient portal
Many systems let you upload imaging through a secure website or app. Log in, find "upload imaging" or "outside records," and follow the prompts. You will usually select the entire folder of .dcm files or a single ZIP the first hospital gave you.
Uploads often fail when the ZIP is huge or the browser times out. If that happens, try a wired connection, a smaller split ZIP only if the help desk says that is OK, or fall back to bringing a USB copy in person.
Step 3 — Email or cloud-share a ZIP (when they say yes)
Some offices accept a ZIP of the DICOM folder by email or a link from Dropbox, Google Drive, or WeTransfer. Ask first — do not assume email is secure enough for their policy. If they approve, zip the same folder you would drag into OpenMyScan, double-check the attachment size limit (often 25 MB for email), and send a short note with your name, date of birth, and what body area was scanned.
OpenMyScan Pro can build a share-oriented ZIP; the free viewer still lets you confirm the study opens correctly on your machine before you send anything.
What doctors need: the whole series
A few JPEG screenshots are not a substitute for the original DICOM. Radiologists scroll through hundreds of slices and adjust brightness; that context lives in the full files. If someone asks for "the MRI," send the folder or the official ZIP from the hospital, not phone photos of a monitor.
Common problems when sending imaging
- My email says the attachment is too large
- Use the portal, a file-transfer link, or deliver a USB — full brain or spine studies are often hundreds of megabytes.
- The portal only wants PDFs
- Call the help number on the portal page and ask for an imaging upload path; PDFs are reports, not the scan itself.
- I only have a film envelope, no disc
- Call the first hospital's records department and request DICOM on USB or download; most can produce it for a small fee or free.
- I'm worried about privacy
- Stick to official clinic portals or encrypted links they recommend. OpenMyScan runs locally in your browser when you check files yourself — it does not upload your scan by default.
Frequently asked questions
Can I email .dcm files directly?
Often yes if the total size fits your provider's limit, but many full studies need a portal or file-transfer link instead.
Do they need special software?
Any radiology workstation opens DICOM. For a quick look on a normal PC, OpenMyScan in a browser is enough to verify the study opens.
Should I anonymize the files first?
Not when you are sending to a named doctor who already treats you. Anonymize only when posting publicly or using an anonymous second-opinion workflow.
Does this work offline?
Yes, after the first successful load. OpenMyScan caches in your browser, so you can use it on a plane or without WiFi as long as the page loaded once. Your files stay local either way.
Do my files upload anywhere?
No. OpenMyScan runs entirely in your browser; your scan never leaves your device. You can disconnect from the internet after the page loads and the viewer still works.