Clayton Injury Imaging Records: Keep the Study, Report and Separate Bill Identifiable

Create a study entry using the documents you already have

Record the examination date, facility, study type and the body area as described on the actual order or report. Keep the ordering clinician and any appointment reference separately identified. If the paperwork does not tell you whether a visit involved an X-ray, CT, MRI or another study, preserve that uncertainty instead of choosing a category from memory. Label a scheduled appointment differently from a completed examination. A bill may help locate a service, but do not use its wording to reconstruct a finding that you have not received. Retain the original pages and accompanying messages.

Ask about the record holder when a contracted service is mentioned

UCGH’s radiology page describes several imaging services and says MRI is performed through a contracted mobile unit. That description is a reason to confirm the current record arrangement, not to assume a separate company holds your images or that the hospital cannot help. Ask the hospital which office handles the particular examination and whether another organization needs a distinct request. Record the actual answer and the service date it covers. The public page does not establish that a particular patient used the mobile service, who interpreted that patient’s study or whether a historical arrangement remains unchanged.

Use the hospital’s release instructions without borrowing another facility’s form

The hospital’s Forms and Policies page has a Medical Record Request section linking a Record Release Form and asking for request contact details. Start with those official instructions and confirm how to obtain the current form if the download fails. The linked PDF initially failed to load and was later read in an independent source check. This guide does not reproduce its fields or confirm a completed submission process. Do not substitute an authorization from a similarly named Union hospital in another state. Explain the examination and material sought in ordinary words, and ask the hospital to clarify the appropriate request and recipient.

Name the written report and the image material separately

A written interpretation and the underlying study images are different items. Ask which of them the request covers and how the intended recipient can receive or use the material. A printed page, an image export, a disc and an online display should be labeled according to what actually arrives. Do not promise a reviewer that you have the full image set because a report is available. If the provider directs you to an outside holder or secure delivery system, preserve that instruction. No imaging-transfer platform, patient portal or event-specific file was accessed for this guide.

Keep questions for the clinician separate from the records inquiry

UCGH’s patient information recommends follow-up with the doctor to discuss laboratory, radiology and other ordered results. A request for a copy is not the same as that clinical conversation. Write down unfamiliar wording or an apparent mismatch so the treating professional can address the specific question. Avoid diagnosing yourself from an image, calling a study normal from the absence of a message or treating a delay in finding a document as proof of medical error. Preserve the provider’s explanation as its own source. Seek appropriate care for current concerns rather than waiting for a perfectly organized file.

Identify a separate bill without counting it as a second examination

The hospital’s patient page says radiologists, pathologists and other providers may send separate bills. Match the date, patient and service description before deciding whether two statements concern the same examination or different services. Keep billed amounts, insurer explanations and supported payments in a billing section rather than merging them with clinical findings. Ask the billing source about an unclear entry and the care provider about the examination. The records page also contains more than one portal destination; their current use and private contents were not tested. Confirm the appropriate hospital route before entering sensitive information.

Deliver an index that shows what is present and what is missing

A practical handoff lists each examination, the report received, image material confirmed, separate billing documents and any outstanding request. Keep earlier and later deliveries traceable instead of replacing one file with another silently. Ask the chosen recipient how to transfer large or sensitive material, and verify whether it can be opened before marking delivery complete. An independent attorney can assess further record needs and situation-specific preservation or timing questions. AskLegalMatters supplies information and lead generation, not radiology, medical advice, hospital records services or legal representation. A document inventory does not determine diagnosis, causation or compensation.

Official sources and verification notes

Related local and state guidance

Existing city injury guides · New Mexico state resources · More dedicated locality articles