X-Rays and Medical Imaging Tests and Services

We give patients five days to respond after sending a text. If we don’t receive a reply, we don’t make any changes to your appointment status. You remain on the waitlist at your hospital and will be contacted with an appointment time when one becomes available.

If you entered an incorrect number as your response, you will be able to contact us using the number provided in the text message and request a correction.

If you entered a number outside the provided options, the system informs you that it could not recognize your response and prompt you to enter a valid number again.

If an incorrect response is entered a second time, the system provides instructions to contact support for assistance. If you require further assistance, you can contact us using the number provided in the text message.

If you select "No preference," you will be scheduled at the earliest available location based on your original place in line.

The system can only process responses with the number corresponding to your selection. To ensure your response is recognized, please reply with the number corresponding to your selection.

By being open to having your scan completed at an alternative nearby hospital, you will have a shorter wait time and be able to have your medical imaging test completed sooner.

No, rescheduling at another location will not affect your position on the waitlist. We are offering alternative locations for medical image testing to help reduce wait times across the Interior Health region, allowing you to be seen sooner.

The goal is to offer our patients choices while balancing waitlists across the region. The texts are also meant to prompt patients to remove themselves from the waitlist if they no longer need the test. This will free up a spot for another patient.

We provide you a phone number to call in the text messages if you have any questions or if you change your mind after selecting an option.

The Interior Health booking office will contact you directly to schedule your appointment at a time that works for you.

Your health is important to us and x-rays are only taken if needed. There is a small risk with any medical drug, test, or therapy. X-rays might very slightly increase cancer risk.

X-rays are used for mammograms, radiographs, and CT scans. When your doctor requests an exam that uses x-rays, it means that in their expert opinion the benefits gained from the imaging information outweighs any risk from the x-ray radiation.

There is very little risk from medical radiation. The main concern is the possibility of future cancer from the x-rays. The risk of cancer from an x-ray exam is a fraction of a per cent per exam, and might be zero. This risk is very small compared to the risk of naturally occurring cancer, which is between 14 per cent and 40 per cent. The dose you have received from past x-rays will not increase your chance of developing cancer from the current exam.

X-ray radiation dose is measured using millisieverts (mSv) just like temperature is measured using Celsius (°C).

Background radiation (the radiation in our environment) varies throughout our health region. Within the Interior Health region you get between 1.8 to 7.9 mSv per year depending on where you live.

Different exams require different amounts of radiation. More radiation is required to image thicker body parts. CT gives more detail and generally uses more radiation than x-ray exams.

As long as your exam is clinically appropriate, the health benefits of the x-ray diagnosis far outweigh the x-ray dose risks.

Nevertheless, we always try to reduce x-ray and CT doses through radiation safety and quality assurance initiatives.

In some cases there are alternatives to X-rays. Ultrasound (US) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) do not use x-rays and do not increase cancer risk. However, US and MRI may not provide the diagnostic information needed. Doctors know the best exam to perform to maximize the health benefit to patients.

It is safe for children to have X-rays. The doctor who requests the x-ray determines if the health benefit of the exam outweighs any potential risks from radiation.

The amount of radiation used for children is lower than what is used for adult exams. Your doctors and Interior Health employees take extra precautions when performing x-rays on children.

It is safe for people who are pregnant to have X-rays. The requesting doctor, x-ray staff, and radiologists take great efforts to identify pregnant patients. In most cases, the health benefit of having the x-ray exam far outweighs the potential risk to the unborn child. Your doctors and Interior Health employees take extra precautions for both pregnant people and people of childbearing age. 

Be sure to notify your doctor or x-ray technologist if you are pregnant.
 

We have used patient shielding for x-ray exams for over 70 years. This practice is changing. Modern scientific studies show radiation risk from medical imaging is much lower than we thought. We now know that previous shielding practices are not necessary.

Learn more

A patient companion is a person accompanying a patient to the medical imaging department. The person may be a family member/designate, guardian, caregiver, interpreter and/or support person.

All employees and approved students including but not limited to radiologists, supervisors, managers, technologists, nurses, aides, and support staff engaged by Interior Health.

• To help the patient and staff communicate with each other if the patient has a disability, language barrier, or other deficit that limits their ability to communicate
• To help the patient understand the details of the medical imaging procedure and what is required by staff
• To help the patient maintain a specific physical position for the exam
• To help reduce anxiety a patient may experience

• The companion’s presence negatively impacts patient safety, well-being, privacy and/or confidentiality
• The companion’s presence negatively impacts the performance of the examination or procedure
• A department policy and/or procedure provides specific guidance for when a companion can or cannot be present
• The companion refuses to wear radiation safety or infection control protective apparel as instructed by staff
• The patient does not consent to a companion being present

• To minimize a companion’s radiation exposure, the companion may be directed by staff to wear radiation safety items such as a lead apron or a thyroid cover. Staff will provide the companion with the required items and also provide instructions to ensure they are used correctly.
• To prevent the spread of infections to the companion or others, staff may direct the companion to wear infection control items such as a gown, gloves, or a mask. Staff will provide the companion with the required items and also provide instructions to ensure they are used correctly.

• Law enforcement personnel such as inmate guards, Interior Health security, and Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) may be in the medical imaging exam room at any time during the patient’s procedure at the discretion of staff for safety reasons
• The same radiation safety and infection control requirements apply to law enforcement personnel as for patient companions