How to Get DICOM Images from a Hospital in China
Ask for the right imaging records and confirm your next clinician can open them before the handover is complete.
Quick answer: Request the actual imaging dataset and an export route accepted by the receiving clinician. A report PDF, screenshot and DICOM dataset serve different purposes.
DICOM transfer: what to confirm
| Decision | Confirmation to request |
|---|---|
| Dataset | Examination, date and available DICOM series. |
| Export | Download, disc or provider-approved transfer method. |
| Access | Link expiry, password and ability to open the files. |
| Recipient | Receiving clinician’s preferred format and confirmation of receipt. |
Written by: Steven, International Patient Coordinator
Ask the hospital’s imaging department or medical-records service for the complete examination in DICOM format and confirm how it can be exported or shared. A PDF report or a phone view of selected images does not establish that you have the full study. Request the records before departure and test the agreed handover with your next healthcare provider.
This is a records-transfer guide, not an explanation of scan findings. For organising the wider visit, see medical treatment in China for foreigners. If the examination is still to be booked, plan the handover when arranging your MRI or CT appointment.
What exactly should you ask for?
DICOM is a medical-imaging format that carries images and related information. Ask for the complete study and available image series from the examination, together with the final written report. The receiving clinician should specify any particular records they need.
| What you receive | What to clarify |
|---|---|
| Written radiology report | The clinician’s written findings; confirm the language and whether this is the final report |
| DICOM image export | The examination images and series in the requested format; ask the receiving team to check completeness |
| Hospital cloud link or QR code | Whether it allows viewing only, authorised export, or sharing with another provider |
| Screenshots or selected JPEGs | Whether these are only previews; they do not by themselves confirm delivery of the requested study |
Shanghai’s official digital medical-imaging service standard distinguishes complete original DICOM image sequences from simple QR-code reports or cloud-film services. Its scope is specific to the defined service in Shanghai. It does not mean every portal nationwide offers the same patient download function.
Make the request specific enough to act on
Contact the department through the hospital’s published channel. Identify the examination by its date, body area and hospital record reference through the authorised process. Ask what identity verification or authorisation is needed, especially if someone else will collect records on your behalf.
You can use this request:
“My next treating team needs the complete imaging study in DICOM format, including the available image series, plus the final radiology report. Please confirm the authorised export or sharing method, any charge, when it will be ready, and whether access expires.”
If you are also asking for English records, specify whether you need an English hospital report or a translation. An image export does not include an English explanation automatically. Our guide to English medical reports covers that separate request.
Agree an export or sharing route with both hospitals
Ask the Chinese hospital what it can provide: an authorised download, an export on approved physical media, or a secure transfer route. Then check what the receiving hospital accepts. A method that is convenient for you may not be compatible with the receiving team’s systems.
RadiologyInfo’s guide to obtaining and sharing images describes several ways institutions share imaging records. It is international background, not a statement of Chinese legal rights or a promise that every hospital offers every route.
Keep the hospital’s export intact until the receiving team confirms it works. Do not replace it with selected screenshots or convert everything into a photo album. If the hospital provides a packaged download or instructions, forward those instructions through the agreed channel and ask for help if the recipient cannot import the study.
Check access while you can still get help
- Does the record belong to you, with the correct examination date and body area?
- Does the portal require a hospital account, a particular phone number or a one-time code?
- Can the receiving team access the study through the proposed route?
- Is a separate download permitted, and is there an expiry date?
- Who can reissue access or correct a missing study after you leave?
In our Shanghai MRI coordination story, the historical handover included Chinese and English reports and a private image-access route with a three-month access notice. That describes one arrangement; download of the image files was not confirmed. Do not assume the same access period for another hospital or booking.
Allow time and clarify any separate charges
Ask when the export will be available independently of the scan appointment and written report. Same-day scanning does not guarantee that a complete export, translated report and recipient verification will all be finished that day. If you are leaving, agree who will follow up on each outstanding item.
Confirm whether the examination price includes image access and export, whether a physical copy has a separate fee, and what report translation or a later clinical review would cost. There is no DICOM-export price stated here for all Chinese hospitals. For an AccessChinaMed diagnostic booking, compare the confirmed package scope with the records you need.
Share it privately and confirm the handover worked
DICOM files can contain identifying information as well as images: the DICOM patient-identification specification includes patient-name and patient-ID fields. Treat the files, hospital links and access codes as private medical records. A filename without your name does not make the contents anonymous.
Use the receiving provider’s approved route and verify the recipient. Avoid posting links or records publicly, or uploading them to an unfamiliar online viewer simply to see whether they open. Keep a private copy of an authorised export if the hospital permits one; ask the healthcare team for help with viewing software.
The useful endpoint is the recipient confirming that they can open the correct study, have the expected image series and can match it to the written report. That is separate from the clinician reviewing the findings. Use the report and follow-up checklist to agree the next conversation.
Official sources and scope
- Shanghai Municipal Health Commission — Digital Medical Imaging Service Quality Standard
- DICOM PS3.3 — Patient Identification Module
- RadiologyInfo — How to Obtain and Share Your Medical Images
Official information was checked on 24 September 2026. Practical planning guidance is provided by the coordination team; this is not a medical diagnosis or a clinical review. Confirm current hospital requirements for your own appointment. Editorial policy.
Plan your next step
Tell us your medical concern or requested service, the city you will be in and your preferred dates. Say whether you already have reports or scans; there is no need to send a passport or full medical record with the first enquiry.
WhatsApp · WeChat: +86 15252468298 · hello@accesschinamed.com
Questions about this topic
Can I request DICOM imaging files?
Ask which examination provides DICOM, how files are exported and how access will be tested before departure.
Is an image screenshot equivalent to DICOM?
No. Ask for the actual imaging dataset if your receiving clinician requires it.
What should I test before leaving the hospital?
Confirm you can open the agreed report or imaging delivery route and know whom to contact if access fails.
Can an overseas doctor use the translated records?
Ask the receiving clinician which originals, translations and image formats are needed.
Content reviewed: 11 October 2026 by Steven, International Patient Coordinator. This review covers coordination scope and consistency, not clinical endorsement. Editorial policy · 100 planning questions · Shanghai appointment planning.