The Diagnostic Imaging team offers exceptional service to ensure your expectations of quality and care are met using the latest methods and technology. From x-rays to MRIs and angiography to ultrasound, we provide fast, accurate diagnoses so you can begin treatment as quickly as possible. For outpatients, we offer a range of diagnostic imaging exams, with operational hours tailored to accommodate your schedule. Inpatients and emergency patients receive on-demand exams, as necessary.
Referral intake and booking process
Your health care provider is required to complete and fax a diagnostic imaging requisition before we schedule an appointment. You can find requisition forms and referral information in our Find a Doctor of Service directory.
Please allow our booking team up to seven business days to process your referral. Once your appointment is confirmed, we will reach out to you with the appointment details.
Please note that we do not schedule appointments over the phone unless it relates to the Ontario Breast Screening Program. For Ontario Breast Screening Program appointments, please call us at 905-494-6688 during our operating hours: Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Services at Brampton Civic |
Directions for Nuclear Medicine and Mammography:
Directions for all other tests:
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Services at Etobicoke General |
Directions for main building:
Directions for Etobicoke Wellness Centre:
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Services at Peel Memorial |
Directions:
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What to expect
Before your visit |
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Please bring your Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) card, requisition for exam and information regarding your current physician care provider. If you do not have an OHIP card, please bring photo identification such as a passport or driver’s license. If you are not covered by OHIP, please expect to sign a responsibility for payment document, or provide payment for your examination, as some exams require payment before proceeding. Parents or legal guardians will be able to accompany a paediatric patient throughout their health care journey, however, you may be asked to wait outside the exam room in certain cases. |
During your visit |
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Registration must occur for every exam in diagnostic imaging and must be done at the registration kiosks located in the main lobby of every Osler site. Additionally, Brampton Civic also has registration kiosks in the entrance B lobby, and in front of x-ray registration in the atrium. Peel Memorial has additional registration kiosks in front of the diagnostic imaging area. Etobicoke General has additional registration kiosks in the lobby of the Etobicoke Wellness Centre where many diagnostic exams are scheduled (fourth level). Please inform our staff if you or your loved one prefers a language other than English, has vision or hearing difficulty or uses a sign language interpreter. Osler offers interpretation and translation services. |
After your visit |
| Once your exam is complete, the results will be sent to the ordering physician and/or your family physician. The amount of time for the results to be received varies with each individual test. If your provider has not received your results after two weeks, please see obtaining your diagnostic imaging records below. |
General safety
Contrast materials |
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Contrast materials are used to improve the quality of imaging exams by changing the way radiation interacts with the body. They are only temporarily in the body, which rids it through urination or bowel movements. If you are aware of an allergy to contrast materials, it is very important to mention this to your physician. Your physician will be responsible for following the instructions on the exam requisition to prepare you for the exam. Typically there are mild to no side-effects from receiving contrast materials, however if symptoms persist, contact your physician, or go to an emergency department. |
Paediatric patients |
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Diagnostic exams are performed on paediatric patients only if a medical professional believes that it is necessary for them to help with a diagnosis and there are not any suitable substitutes. The benefits of a diagnostic exam significantly outweigh the risks, and exams are adjusted to safely provide the desired images. |
Pregnancy |
| Advising your physician and technologist that you are pregnant is very important, especially as it may indicate the reason for a symptom. For any diagnostic exams that involve radiation, pregnancy status is established before the exam is performed, to ensure the exam is performed in the safest possible way. Although the risk is low for diagnostic exams that involve radiation, extra precaution is taken to protect the mother and unborn child. For example, if an exam is necessary, and no suitable alternatives for diagnosis exist, an alternative position may be used. An exam involving radiation may affect breast milk, which may need to be disposed of for a short period of time after an exam. Ultrasound does not use radiation so it is the safest and preferred method to monitor fetal well-being. |
Radiation |
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Diagnostic exams in hospitals generally use very small amounts of radiation and Osler’s diagnostic imaging exams follow guidelines which indicate that the minimum required radiation is used to obtain images. This means that exams performed at hospitals are low risk and the benefits significantly outweigh the risks. Below are resources which provide more in-depth information regarding radiation:
Please note that Osler has updated our patient shielding policy by removing lead shielding during patient exams with x-ray radiation. This decision aligns with the latest revisions to Health Canada’s Safety Code, the Canadian Association of Radiologists and the Canadian Association of Medical Radiation Technologists. The change reflects advancements in x-ray technology and health care safety, aligning with other hospitals in Canada and the United States. Up-to-date research has shown that lead shielding has negligible or no benefit to a patient’s health. Removing the use of lead shielding will ensure the patient receives the lowest possible radiation dose and no anatomy is obscured. For more information regarding this change, please see Health Canada’s Safety Code 35 and statements from the Canadian Association of Radiologists and the Canadian Association of Medical Radiation Technologists. |
Obtaining your images and reports
If you would like to obtain records or images from a diagnostic exam you have had at Osler, the following services are available:
MyChart™ |
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All Osler patients can register for MyChart™. If a patient is younger than 14, their parent or legal guardian can contact us at 905-494-2120 ext. 56203 to access their child's records. When children turn 14, they take ownership of their own MyChart™ accounts. |
PocketHealth |
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We are proud to offer patients the ability to access, store and share their medical imaging records online using PocketHealth. Instead of having to pick up and carry around a CD, PocketHealth allows you to:
How to get PocketHealthRegister online for a PocketHealth account. There is a fee at the time of enrollment which includes permanent access to all previous imaging as well as any new exams. PocketHealth has two membership options: flex ($10/month, cancel anytime) and unlimited ($49/year). Both plans give you:
With the unlimited plan you can also securely store and share any past imaging from CDs and any health records, including lab results, prescriptions and vaccine receipts. For more information, visit the PocketHealth website. Questions about PocketHealth? Call 1-855-381-8522 or email help@pocket.health. |
