Patient Blog

How Long Do MRI Results Take? How to Check Your Report Online?

Updated on: September 16, 2024 | PocketHealth
A person accessing their MRI report on PocketHealth

Wondering how long it takes to get your MRI results? We’ll show you how to access your report faster!

If your medical provider has scheduled you for an MRI, you’re likely anxious to get your results. This guide will cover everything you need to know about obtaining your final report, including how to access your records online and how long they typically take to get back to you. It will also outline possible next steps and address frequently asked questions, so you have a thorough understanding of what to expect while waiting for your MRI findings.

PocketHealth provides secure and easy access to your final report as soon as it is uploaded, giving you an early glimpse of your results. This allows you to familiarize yourself with your records, prepare questions for your follow-up appointment, and gain insights into your health. While it does not replace medical advice, it empowers you to have more informed discussions with your healthcare provider.

 

Get early access to your MRI results

 

Factors that influence how fast you receive your MRI report

The timing of when you receive your MRI results can vary based on several factors. Some of these include:

  • The urgency of your case: In some instances, MRI results can be expedited and sent to your physician sooner than a week.
  • The complexity of your scan: MRI scans that cover a larger area or require an in-depth assessment may take the radiologist longer to review.
  • Whether the radiologist requires more information: Your physician may send you for more imaging or repeated imaging, under the advice of the radiologist who needs more information to properly assess your case.
  • Comparing different MRI images and reports over time: The radiologist who reviews your imaging will compare it to previous MRIs or other medical imaging you’ve done in the past.
  • Transferring your MRI results to your referring practitioner: Diagnostic imaging, including MRIs, is often transferred to your primary care provider electronically or using CDs. In some cases, technical issues can cause portions of your results to arrive separately from each other.

Your MRI results may be available online through your referring physician’s patient portal or the imaging clinic, but these sharing methods don’t always include the images, or, if images are included, they may not be in diagnostic quality. Diagnostic-quality imaging is important because it allows you to view your results just as your physician does and means you can easily get a second opinion.

 

When will I get my MRI results?

The timing of when you receive your MRI results can vary based on several factors. Let’s review various situations.

How long does it typically take to get my MRI results?

Typically, it takes about a week or two for the imaging clinic or hospital to send your MRI results to your referring physician. However, this timeline can vary based on several factors, such as the facility’s workload, the complexity of the MRI, and whether a specialist’s review is needed. Urgent cases or abnormal findings may be expedited, while routine scans might take longer due to the radiologist’s schedule or the need for additional analysis. Always check with your healthcare provider for the most accurate timeframe for your specific case. If you are a PocketHealth user, you will be noticed the moment your report is uploaded.

How long will it take for MRI results, if urgent?

If you’re in an emergency situation and you’re at the ER or other crisis facility, MRI results are often available within a few hours, although such situations are thankfully rare. For less immediate circumstances, urgent MRI results can sometimes be as fast as the same day or take up to a week or more, depending on how busy the imaging facility and radiologist are. The timing for delivering MRI results depends on the healthcare facility’s protocols and the urgency of the findings. If an MRI reveals significant abnormalities requiring immediate attention, medical professionals generally aim to communicate the results promptly. However, the exact timeframe can vary. In some cases, preliminary findings may be shared right after the scan or shortly thereafter. For more complex cases that require further consultations or specialist opinions, the process may take longer. Healthcare providers strive to balance promptness with accuracy, ensuring patients receive clear information and appropriate support for any concerning results.

 

Checking your MRI report online: What you should know

Once a radiologist has analyzed your MRI, the results are sent to your referring physician, who will review them with you during a follow-up appointment. This process generally takes about one to two weeks, though the exact timing can vary depending on several factors. If you’d like to view your report online before your doctor’s appointment, we’ll guide you through the steps to access it and how to request a copy for your records.

Patient accessing their brain MRI report from PocketHealth

Patient accessing their brain MRI report using PocketHealth

Can I see my MRI results online?

Some medical facilities offer online access to recent records, but the availability and timing can vary widely. PocketHealth provides the fastest and easiest way to view your MRI results online, allowing you to see your records as soon as they’re uploaded, often before your follow-up appointment with your doctor. It also securely stores past scans and reports, so you can access all your medical imaging in one place, anytime you need.

Can I see my MRI results immediately?

The timing of your MRI results depends on your medical provider, how long the radiologist takes to interpret your images and other factors. For many patients, their doctor will provide the results at the next appointment or during a follow-up phone call. If you want access to your final report as soon as it is available, PocketHealth offers secure and easy access through their online platform. While it’s still important to have a physician discuss the report with you, PocketHealth allows you to get an early look while you wait for your appointment.

How do I get a copy of my MRI scan?

If you are a PocketHealth user, you will have secure online access to all your imaging records anytime, once they are uploaded. This feature is particularly useful if you need to share your data with other medical professionals or specialists. If you don’t have online access, you’ll likely need to request a copy from your referring physician. For legal purposes, you may be required to sign a records release form and some clinics might charge a fee.

 

Fast and easy access to your MRI records

Benefits of having early access to your MRI report

It’s easy to feel in the dark about your health while waiting for your physician to share the results. PocketHealth helps you gain some control over your healthcare journey by giving you fast, easy and secure access to your medical reports, as soon as they are available. Here are 5 ways PocketHealth helps ensure you are a partner, not a passenger, in your own care:

  • Getting early access to your report reduces anxiety: PocketHealth enables you to see your images and reports the moment they’re released by the radiologist and view them from any device. No need to anxiously await your follow-up doctor’s appointment.
  • You can share your results: If you want to keep your entire healthcare team up to date or need a second opinion, you can email, print or fax a secure access page to another practitioner, from your account. And that practitioner doesn’t need to be on PocketHealth to view your MRI images in full, diagnostic quality.
  • You can ask more informed questions: It can be difficult to decipher the complex medical terms in your MRI report. With PocketHealth Report Reader, you can easily understand what those terms mean, allowing you to have more informative conversations with your practitioner during a follow-up appointment.
  • You’ll never miss a follow-up: With PocketHealth MyCare Navigator, you’ll know when a follow-up is needed, allowing you to be on top of the recommended next steps.
  • You own your records: All your records are secured with bank-level encryption technology and will always be centralized in one place for you to access and share. PocketHealth secure storage helps you avoid requesting records in writing, which can take 30-60 days and may require a fee.

With access to your MRI imaging and report, PocketHealth enables you to arrive at your next appointment feeling confident, informed and ready to participate in your own care.

 

Getting your MRI results back

Patient using PocketHealth to access their MRI report online

Patient using PocketHealth to access their MRI report online

Waiting to get your MRI results is just one part of your health journey. What do you do with the information once you actually get it? Here are some helpful recommendations for follow up actions.

Use Report Reader to interpret MRI results

Deciphering your MRI results can be challenging due to the numerous technical descriptions, medical acronyms and complex terminology. If you have access to your report but haven’t had your follow-up medical appointment yet, it can be easy to get overwhelmed. PocketHealth Report Reader can assist with understanding this specialized vocabulary. It offers simplified definitions for the medical terms found in your results, helping you gain a clearer understanding of what it all means.

Next steps after an MRI appointment

It is important that you attend any scheduled follow-up appointments with your physician to discuss the results of your MRI. Even if you have access to your own MRI images and report, your physician can give you essential insight into your results because they will be able to view your MRI images within the context of any other tests or appointments you’ve had in the past. Your physician will also discuss any next steps with you and give you all the information you need to decide what’s next.

To further enhance this discussion, MyCare Navigator equips you with personalized questions tailored to your report, allowing for a more focused and productive conversation with your doctor. It also highlights key recommendations from your report, ensuring you are well-prepared and always aware of what to expect next.

How to understand your MRI results?

The radiologist who reviews your MRI results will create a report based on their findings and send both the MRI images and the report to your referring physician. If you have access to your results and want to understand them better, here’s a helpful article that explains how to read an MRI report

For a quick overview of your results, keep in mind that MRI images are often taken from multiple angles to provide a comprehensive view for the radiologist. Here are a few tips to help you make sense of what you see.

  • Coronal: This is a front-view picture that presents a mirror image of your body. For example, in a coronal view of an MRI scan, the left side of the body will be on the right side of the image, and vice versa.
  • Sagittal: A sagittal or side-view image is a cross-sectional capture taken from the side-profile view of the body.
  • Axial: An axial image is a cross-sectional view that will also present as a mirror image. In an axial view of an MRI scan, images are taken from feet to head or bottom to top.

When analyzing your results, a radiologist considers the color and intensity of MRI images, which depends on the type of MRI sequence:

  • T1-weighted sequences clearly show the anatomy of the body and the amount of water an area contains, which appears black.
  • T2-weighted sequences also show the amount of water tissue and organ structures have, which helps indicate irregularities or injuries. Areas of the body like cysts, cerebral spinal fluid or swelling will appear white, while organs or muscles typically appear grey. Tumors and infections show up bright and stand out.
  • FLAIR sequences or fluid attenuated inversion recovery images assist in diagnosing brain injuries or illnesses. These sequences show water, including cerebral spinal fluid, and some brain irregularities, as black.
  • STIR sequences or short tau inversion recovery images allow injuries to appear brighter by making all the fat in any area of the body appear black, allowing for high-contrast images.
  • Fat-saturated images make areas of fat appear black and can help isolate whiter areas in the sequence.

Frequently asked questions

Many patients who receive MRI scans have similar questions. Here are answers to some of the most common queries.

If my MRI results are abnormal, will they tell me right away?

When MRI results are serious, the timing of when your doctor provides the results can vary. Some medical providers prefer to discuss your report at your follow-up appointment to explain your condition in person.

Typically, if immediate actions are required based on your results, your provider will contact you sooner. For patients with online access to their report, you might see your results before your doctor does, which may make waiting for answers feel unsettling. Try not to panic. If you have concerns about your results, consider calling your medical provider’s office to request a brief discussion with your doctor or the on-call staff if they are unavailable. A quick phone conversation about abnormal results can help ease your anxiety while you wait for your follow-up appointment.

Will I always have a follow up appointment after an MRI?

Medical providers often schedule a follow-up appointment after imaging scans to discuss the results and any necessary next steps. However, it’s not uncommon for doctors to review your report with you over the phone, especially if the news is positive or if there is a straightforward action plan.

Who has access to my MRI results?

Your MRI results may be available to many different parties. The radiologist reviewing your MRI results will have access, as will your referring physician, but in some cases, insurance companies and different care centers require access as well. Some others who may have access to your records include:

  • You: Patients are legally allowed access to their medical records under HIPAA in the U.S. and the PHIA in Canada.
  • The MRI technologist: They capture the images during your procedure.
  • The radiologist: The facility where you get your MRI will have a radiologist to review your imaging and create a report.
  • Your primary care provider or referring physician: The finalized report is sent to your referring provider, who will discuss them with you at a follow-up appointment.

 

Being an advocate for your health

For Aileen, accessing her brain MRI results through PocketHealth empowered her to be more proactive about her health, rather than passively receiving information from her doctor. It also allowed her husband to be involved in her medical journey during COVID, when restrictions prevented him from attending her appointments.

Waiting for an MRI result can be nerve-wracking. Having secure access to your images and reports gives you the opportunity to understand the MRI results ahead of an appointment with your physician, so you can prepare more informed questions about any next steps in your healthcare journey.

 

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