X-Ray Associates | Physicians

Show all answers Hide all answers

Q1. What imaging services do you offer?

Our services include X-ray, Ultrasound (including Vascular and MSK ultrasound), Mammography (including OBSP screening), Bone Mineral Densitometry, and Nuclear Medicine (cardiac and non-cardiac).

Q2. What are the OHIP guidelines for ordering Bone Mineral Densitometry tests?

The following guidelines are current as of July 1, 2010. A more updated list of criteria may be found at the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care website at http://www.health.gov.on.ca. Please feel free to contact our offices if you have any questions.

OHIP covers one baseline BMD study per patient per lifetime.

A subsequent second test for a low risk patient with a normal baseline BMD examination is 36 months. If at that point the BMD examination is normal, the patient then qualifies for a third follow up examination in 60 months.

Subsequent tests for high risk patients are limited to one test every 12 months unless the ordering physician obtains written prior authorization from a medical consultant. Authorization will be dependent on the ordering physician demonstrating that the test is generally accepted as necessary for the patient under the circumstances.

Definitions:

For the purpose of subsequent testing, high risk patient means a patient:

at risk for accelerated bone loss (in the absence of other risk factors, patient age is deemed not to place a patient at high risk for accelerated bone loss);
with osteopenia or osteoporosis on any previous BMD testing; or
with bone loss in excess of 1% per year as demonstrated by previous BMD testing.

low risk patient means a patient who is not a high risk patient.

If the patient is considered "high risk", the ordering physician must indicate the reason for this on the requisition.

The 2002 Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Osteoporosis in Canada can be found here.

Q3. How soon will I receive a report?

All studies are reviewed by a Radiologist within 1 working day. For routine studies, your office should receive a written report within 1-3 business days. If there are any urgent findings or if an urgent report is requested, a report can be faxed or a verbal report called to your office on the same day as the study.

Q4. Can I speak with the Radiologist?

If you have any concerns or questions, please contact one of our offices. If a Radiologist is available, he or she will speak with you at that time. Otherwise, the message will be taken and the next available Radiologist will be in contact with you, usually within the day.

Q5. Will the Radiologist be able to correlate imaging from the hospital and other clinics?

Yes. Because our physicians hold privileges at York Central Hospital and Southlake Regional Health Centre, we have remote access to digital images from these hospitals. As well, all or our clinics are digitally connected via teleradiology and PACS, and therefore any examination performed at one X-Ray Associates clinic is immediately available at any of our other clinics. We have no access to imaging from outside private clinics, unless these are made available by you or the patient via film or CD. Please indicate on your requisition if your patient has had prior imaging at one of the hospitals or one of our clinics.

Q6. Do you offer immigration Chest X-rays?

Yes. This service is not covered by OHIP. Please contact the Richmond Street or Harding Blvd. sites for more details.

In this section