Requisitions

Our team has developed information and resources to assist physicians in ordering examinations.

Requests for examinations will only be performed on the written request of a health-care professional (e.g. physician, chiropractor, nurse practitioner, etc.) who in their scope of practice, are allowed to order these examinations and procedures.

All requisitions must be fully completed and contain legible information about the patient, the physician, and the examination(s) requested to ensure that the appropriate examination(s) are scheduled, performed, interpreted and reported in a timely manner. Requisitions must also include the appropriate clinical history.

Requisitions

Please send your completed requisition to the appropriate requisition fax number below.

Frequently asked questions

Why does medical imaging services require so many patient identifiers?

Eastern Health’s Positive Patient Identification policy requires patient identifiers that include patient name, MCP number, date of birth, address or telephone number. Our staff requires the patient name and MCP number plus at least one other identifier on all requisitions. Our program has a responsibility to provide accurate and timely care to the correctly identified patient. Misidentification of a patient may lead to negative outcomes or untoward harm.

What type of physician information does Medical Imaging need in order to process my patient’s appointment as quickly as possible?

Illegible or incomplete information may cause significant delays in processing appointment requests for your patient. To avoid unnecessary delays, the physician’s first and last name must be printed and the requisition must include the physician’s signature. The physicians practice address, telephone and fax number must be provided. An area is provided on the form for your convenience in using a physician stamp. If this information is not present on all medical imaging referrals, the requisition will be returned to you.

What is the “Urgency Rating” system?

The urgency rating system is used to ensure patients receive access to services within an appropriate time frame. For example, the urgent and non-urgent, follow-up ratings have different acceptable time frames for patients to receive a service. The Medical Imaging Program uses prioritization guidelines recommended by the Canadian Association of Radiologists once a requisition is received and then reviewed.  If you require a follow-up examination for a patient, please ensure you specify the timeframe needed.

I can’t find an “Emergency” priority rating. Why not?

Medical Imaging defines a medical emergency as an injury or illness that is acute and poses an immediate risk to the person’s life or long term health. An emergency will be addressed immediately and physicians should not request an appointment through the booking system.

What is the process for acquiring emergency medical imaging services?

If your patient requires emergency services, please make direct contact with a radiologist or send your patient to the nearest emergency department. Radiologists are available on a 24-hours basis for consultation. Please call the switchboard at your nearest hospital to connect with the radiologist on-call for each modality.

What distinguishes the “type of exam required” from the “specific exam requested”?

The “type of exam” indicates a medical imaging modality or department such as ultrasound, X-ray, nuclear medicine, etc. This covers a broad spectrum of examinations. The “specific exam” indicates the exact procedure and body part you are requesting for your patient. For example, if your patient requires an X-ray of the left femur, “x-ray” indicates the type and indicating the “left femur” notes the specific exam within X-ray.

What is the difference between “first available appointment” and “site specific” wait time?

Currently, this applies to city hospitals only. If “site specific” is selected, the patient will be provided an appointment at that site. As a result your patient may not get the earliest access available. However, if “first available appointment” is selected, your patient will be given the first available appointment in any of the city hospitals.

Why does Medical Imaging ask if the patient had a Barium study in the past week?

Residual barium in the patient’s GI tract may obscure pathologies or result in suboptimal imaging of body parts. Also, in Nuclear Medicine examinations specifically, the barium attenuates gamma rays resulting in sub-optimal imaging.

Why are there sections on the requisition that ask questions about eGFR and risk factors?

There are many circumstances whereby a patient may need contrast as required by the radiologist reporting the examination. Therefore, it is important to assess a patient’s kidney function prior to ordering the examination. The risk factors associated with contrast and kidney function are outlined on the requisition. It is important to identify if your patient has any of these risk factors. If an examination requires contrast, and up to date kidney function is not known, this examination will be delayed.

The requisition asks if my patient is on Metformin. Why?

If a patient requires contrast for an examination within Medical Imaging and they are taking Metformin these medications must be stopped for the procedure and followed by kidney function assessment within 48hrs.

I am ordering a MRI and it asks for the patient’s height and weight. Why?

There are three MRI scanners located within Eastern Health. Each of these scanners are different sizes. In order to prevent a patient from being booked for a MRI examination on a scanner that cannot accommodate their body habitus, it is important to accurately list the patient’s weight and height on the requisition.  These requisitions will be returned if this section is not completed.

Why do I need to complete the safety checklist on a MRI requisition?

There are many safety considerations within MRI. Every medical implant needs to be comprehensively reviewed prior to the patient being booked for a MRI. If the patient’s medical history is not known, or the checklist is not accurately completed, this can create a potential adverse incident within MRI. Also, some medical implants can only be scanned on a certain MRI scanner therefore, knowing these implants prior to booking a MRI, creates less chance of a patient being cancelled. Please ensure the checklist and surgeries are always indicated on each requisition.