China · Practical planning
China Check-up Reports and DICOM Images After Departure
Updated · By MyChinaCheckup
You can arrange to receive check-up records after leaving China. Before departure, agree a separate delivery status for the hospital’s Chinese report, the full English translation, each scan report and any requested image files. The confirmed package includes the Chinese report and full English translation; DICOM availability and any other deliverables need confirmation for the actual examination.
A file-by-file handover checklist
Use the following tracker for each attendee. “Report sent” should identify a particular document, rather than imply that every result and image has arrived. Each row needs an expected date, the agreed delivery channel and a contact if it is missing.
| Record | Check when received | Status to record |
|---|---|---|
| Hospital-issued Chinese report | Correct person, hospital, visit date and complete original pages. | Received / pending; expected date. |
| Full English translation | Paired with the same original; complete pages, examination labels, units and reference ranges where supplied. | Received / clarification requested; version date. |
| Radiology report for each scan | Correct examination, body region, side where applicable and scan date. | List each scan individually. |
| Requested DICOM or other image files | Hospital-confirmed format; access works; receiving clinic can use its agreed transfer method. | Available / not provided / pending; download expiry. |
| Separate pathology or specialist result, if performed | Issuing department and the appointment or sample it relates to. | Pending result and clinical follow-up contact. |
| Authorised recipient and missing-file contact | Patient’s agreed address; any additional recipient expressly authorised by that patient. | Who follows up and when to contact them. |
If the download fails after you return home
Send the hospital or coordinator the visit reference, file name, error message and the time you tried to open it. Ask whether access has expired, identity verification is needed or a new link must be issued. Do not send login passwords. A working web preview is not proof that a complete image set has been downloaded; ask the supplying department to confirm what it contains.
If a translation appears incomplete, identify the original page and the matching translated page. The coordinator can follow up a missing page or translation query. If the concern is about what a finding means, request a clinician’s explanation rather than asking the translator to reinterpret it.
Keep a short outstanding-items list after the first delivery. Close each item when the promised file has arrived and you can access it. If one item cannot be supplied, ask for a written explanation and discuss acceptable alternatives with the receiving clinic. This is a suggested tracking process, not a claim that every hospital offers DICOM export or a particular portal.
Use this checklist with your selected hospital and the doctor who will receive your records. Available files, access methods, delivery dates and any separate charges depend on the hospital and the examinations; confirm them for your appointment.
Choose your city and hospital →
Decide what you need to take home
Check the deliverables for each examination rather than assuming that one “English report” contains everything. Use this list when discussing the written plan.
| Item | What to confirm |
|---|---|
| Hospital-issued Chinese report | The original report, examination date, hospital identity and complete pages. |
| English translation | The documents covered, expected delivery and how to query an unclear term or missing page. |
| Laboratory results | Values, units and the reporting laboratory’s reference ranges where supplied. |
| Radiology report | The written interpretation for each scan, with the correct body region and date. |
| Imaging files | Whether original digital files can be obtained, their format, access method and any separate charge. |
| Next steps | Who to contact about the results and any follow-up instructions from the hospital. |
A radiology report and the scan images serve different purposes
The written report records the radiologist’s interpretation. The image files allow another clinician to review the examination itself and compare it with earlier or later images. RadiologyInfo, reviewed by radiology professional organisations, explains why patients may want both reports and images for subsequent care. Read its guide to obtaining and sharing medical images.
Ask the hospital what image format and transfer method it can provide. If your overseas clinic requests DICOM files or a particular upload route, pass that request to the hospital before departure. Confirm whether a download, disc, portal or another method is available, and whether access expires. A photo of a screen may not meet your receiving clinic’s requirements.
Agree delivery timing separately from your appointment
The hospital-issued Chinese report and complete English translation are delivered within 3–5 working days after all examinations listed in your confirmed check-up package are completed. Record the expected delivery date and recipient for both documents. Tests outside the listed package, specialist opinions and imaging files have their own confirmed arrangements.
If you leave before results are ready, confirm the delivery channel and contact details while you are still at the hospital. Ask whom to contact if the expected date passes, and how urgent findings or further clinical advice would be communicated.
See the appointment-versus-report timeline →
For couples: keep two complete sets of records
Each person should have their own report set, delivery details and consent for any shared access. Check that names and dates match the relevant person. A shared booking does not mean one partner should automatically receive the other’s medical information.
Keep original reports and translations together. When discussing any apparent discrepancy, identify the examination, date and report page so the coordinator can direct the question to the right provider. The translation helps communication; clinical interpretation and advice belong with a qualified clinician.
Before your doctor reviews results in the US, UK or elsewhere
Contact the receiving clinic and ask what it can accept: original reports plus translation, image files, a secure upload or printed copies. Ask whether a clinical appointment is needed to review the results. Each provider makes its own decisions about reviewing outside records or ordering further assessment; an English translation does not guarantee acceptance or avoid repeat testing.
A useful preparation note can list the visit date, hospital, examinations performed and any questions you want the clinician to address. Keep the hospital’s follow-up instructions with the records rather than treating electronic delivery as the end of care.
Check access before you leave
- Confirm your own email or other agreed channel, separately for each visitor.
- Ask which documents will arrive together and which will follow later.
- If an image portal is used, confirm access requirements, expiry and the process for retrieving a copy from overseas.
- Agree how identity verification or consent is handled for records requests.
- Store your copies securely and share them directly through the method agreed with your receiving clinic.
Questions about charges and receipts
Confirm which translations, imaging copies and later consultations are included in your written quote. If you plan to ask an insurer or employer about reimbursement, check its requirements separately before relying on payment. Request appropriate itemised receipts from the relevant provider; this service does not promise reimbursement or direct billing.
A handover request you can use
Please confirm the Chinese report, English translation, separate radiology reports and available imaging files for my examinations. My city and hospital are __. I leave China on __. Please state the delivery method, expected date, any additional charge and the contact for follow-up questions.
Booking and report arrangements · Choose the hospital and campus · China check-up planning guide
If your trip includes the Canton Fair, see the Guangzhou appointment-planning example; the records checklist above also applies to other cities.
MyChinaCheckup coordinates appointments; medical care and clinical interpretation are delivered by the selected healthcare provider.