Moving scans, lab results and biopsy slides to Spain

Key rules

• Imaging format: A DICOM disc or USB with a viewer is the safest way to bring scans; JPEGs, PDFs and phone photos are weak substitutes.
• Reports: Always get the written radiology and pathology reports along with the images and slides.
• Lab history: Bring one table with dates, tests, values, units and reference ranges, plus the original lab reports.
• Biopsy slides: The originating lab releases slides on written request, and the Spanish pathology department decides whether to review them.

What to bring

Bring images on a physical disc or USB, the written reports that go with them, a single lab table, and, if you had a biopsy, the original pathology report. Start early. Each of these needs a request to a different provider.

Scans and other imaging

A physical copy is the safest route. Spanish public hospitals mainly accept images in DICOM format on a CD, DVD or USB, with a viewer on the disc. Plain JPEGs, PDFs or phone photos of scans are generally weak substitutes.

• Ask your home radiology provider for a full DICOM copy with an embedded viewer. A written request or release form is usually needed, often with ID.
• Many US and UK providers do this within days, sometimes for a small fee.
• If the provider offers a patient portal or secure download link, check that it exports full DICOM and not screenshots. Keep it as a backup, not your only copy. Whether a Spanish hospital will open a link depends on its IT policy.
• Ask for the radiologist's report for every scan. The report gives the original specialist's reading and lets the Spanish doctor judge your case without waiting for a new read. Images alone are often re-reported anyway.

Policies differ by region and hospital. Before you travel, ask the radiology or admissions desk of your Spanish hospital which format it accepts. You can also raise it with the specialist at your first consultation.

Lab results

One clear table is more useful than a pile of printouts.

• Put dates in columns and tests in rows.
• Show the value, the unit and the lab's reference range for each result.
• Flag unit differences. US and European units differ, for example mg/dL versus mmol/L.
• Attach the original lab reports behind the table.
• Keep it to the relevant history, such as one to three years or the period that matters for your condition.

Biopsy slides and pathology

The slides and paraffin blocks belong to the pathology lab that made them. They release them on written request from you or your doctor.

• Always get the written pathology report. Oncology teams usually need it, and it is essential for pathology.
• Slides usually travel by courier or by hand, with a signed release and a loan or return agreement.
• The Spanish hospital's pathology department, usually at the oncologist's request, decides whether to review them. For cancer diagnoses a slide review, or new stains or molecular tests on the block, is often requested but not always.
• The sending lab and the Spanish pathology service arrange the exchange between them. Ask your Spanish specialist whether the slides are needed before you ask the lab to release them.

The documents list, checklist and questions below cover the details of each request.

Documents you need

• Imaging copy in DICOM format on a CD, DVD or USB with an embedded viewer, issued by the provider that did the scan.

• The radiologist's written report for each scan, to go with the images.

• A cumulative lab results table with dates in columns, tests in rows, values, units and the lab's reference ranges, covering the relevant 1 to 3 years.

• The original lab reports, attached to the table.

• The written pathology report for any biopsy or slides.

Checklist

• Ask your home radiology provider in writing for a full DICOM copy on CD, DVD or USB with a viewer, and include your ID.

• Ask for the radiologist's report together with the images.

• Build one lab table with dates in columns and tests in rows, showing values, units and reference ranges.

• Flag any unit differences, such as mg/dL versus mmol/L, and attach the original lab reports.

• Send a written request to the pathology lab that holds your slides or blocks, and ask for the original report.

• Agree with the sending lab and the Spanish pathology department how the slides will travel, and sign a release and return agreement.

Frequently asked questions

Can a Spanish public hospital open my scans from a download link?

Some Spanish public hospitals accept a secure download link, but a physical disc is the safest route. Acceptance depends on each hospital's IT policy. Ask the radiology desk before you rely on a link, and bring a disc as a backup.

Are JPEG, PDF or phone photos of my scans good enough?

No, plain JPEG, PDF or phone photos are generally weak substitutes for the real images. Spanish hospitals mainly work with DICOM files, which keep the full detail of the scan. Ask your home provider for DICOM, not screenshots.

How many years of lab results should I bring to a Spanish specialist?

Bring the relevant history, usually 1 to 3 years or the period that matters for your condition. Put it in one table with dates across the top and tests down the side. Mark any unit differences, such as mg/dL versus mmol/L, because US and European units differ.

Does a Spanish oncologist need my original biopsy slides?

Not always, but oncology usually needs the original pathology report, and a slide review or new tests on the block are often requested for cancer. The Spanish hospital's pathology department decides whether to review them. The sending lab and the Spanish pathology service arrange the exchange, usually by courier or hand-carried with a signed release and a return agreement.