Vet refuses to give up X-Rays - Page 1

Not too long a go i got preliminary X-Rays for one of my dogs at Banfield pet hospital and I asked to take the X-Rays with me and they said "we can't give them to you, we have to keep them here for our own records."  I didn't think of anything at the time but don't I have the right to have my dogs X-Rays even if they are preliminary?

Thanks

bANFIELD IS A VERY BAD REPUTATIONAL JOINT   AND I MEAN A JOINT....THEY ARE A MULTILEVEL CORP.  THEY KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THE CARE OR MAKING YOU THEIR MAIN IDEA.....THEY HAVE A QUOTA AND THEY CANT READ XRAYS CORRECTLY EITHER....

THEY WILL SELL YOU THE MOON, THE STARS, AND THE KEY TO THE GATES OF HABA , AND SMILE ALL THE WAY TO THE BANK/......

gOT SO MAD , I FORGOT TO TELL YOU,,,YES THEY ARE YOUR XRAYS AND THEY CANNOT KEEP THEM     ASK THEM TO LOOK AT THEM AND TAKE THE ENVELOP IN YOUR HAND ,AND SAY THANK YOU FOR MY XRAYS...AND HAVE A NICE DAY...THEY ARE MINE , I PAID FOR THEM AND THEY DONT NEED THEM FOR THEIR RECORDS...THEY SHOULD HAVE MADE TWO COPIES AND YOU DIDNT SIGN ANY PAPER , I HOPE , SAYING THAT THE XRAYS ARE SOLE PROPERTY OF BANFIELD......WALK OUT THE FRONT DOOR, AND NEVER DARKEN THEIR DOOR AGAIN......TELL THEM  ADIOS....

The xrays belong to who paid the bill for them if they will not release them ask for a copy..when I worked at a hospital films belonged to them as well but if you signed a release they would let you take them...a copy should cost no more then a dollar or so to make the main bulk of a charge is the taking and reading of films. Marlene

Hate to tell you all but you are wrong. In most jursidcitions the veterinarian is the owner of the x-ray. It is considered part of the medical record and either the state or the veterinary board will require them to retain it for a certain period of time. You do have the right to a copy however. I have learned the hard way and now request two x-rays to be made when they are doing the x-rays. This is easier than trying to get a copy as most vets do not have the capability of making copies and have to send them out. Tthe problem with 2 images is there may be differences in the x-ray if the dog shifted position. This problem should go away as they convert to digital images as they can just download a copy to a cd for you - though I still like having the old hard copy x-ray for my files. Digital is actually not a good archival method because technology changes so rapidly that you can lose the ability to read the file.

Here is a good explanation re the records even tho it's referencing horses.

http://www.equisearch.com/horses_care/farm_ranch/management/xray110403/

I am sure that they let you "borrow" these xrays. Just go to the nearest (human) hospital and ask for copies to be made. They usually do that for a small fee. Afterwards, you can take the xrays back to your vet. I am glad that my vet now does digital images. We just get a CD from him.

Chris

VKF, you are correct that the vet does own these xrays and are required to keep them for something like 7 years.  However, you should be able to sign the xrays out to "borrow" them.   The digital technology is great, I wish we had a digital xray.  Hopefully some day we will.  If we are doing OFA xrays or something we do make two copies of each view.   You put two films in the plate and have to adjust the settings bit, but it is two xrays of the same exact view.  

My vet automatically makes two copies and a disc for you to take home and you dont have to ask him   to do it.....

VKFGSD:  I dont know if that applies in Texas or not...and here is why?   Back in JUne I posted a set of hip ofa xrays from my vet in Galveston on an ofa excellent girl....they were his second xray taken not the good one ,,,but we used it.....and I called the second best vet I use here to get the other   OFA excellent xray of my other girl  and they told me ,,,,We dont have it,,,,we sent it to OFA and unless you wanted it back,,,we didnt request it back.......we only made one ...and they havae it......

And that is here in Tyler , Texas....?????  so maybe some states havae different   rules...?