7 MOST-ASKED QUESTIONS FROM PATIENTS

We collected the most-asked patient questions in 2022. Below are the questions and their answers.

WHY DO I NEED TO ARRIVE 15 MINUTES BEFORE MY APPOINTMENT?

For most medical imaging appointments with Mayfair Diagnostics, you will be asked to arrive 15 minutes before your appointment. This allows you enough time to check in at reception and complete any paperwork that may be needed prior to your exam.

Please note, for some exams you may be asked to arrive earlier. For example, for any MRI exam you will be asked to arrive at least 30 minutes before your exam, and possibly longer if oral contrast is required.

HOW SOON AFTER MY PAIN MANAGEMENT INJECTION WILL I START TO FEEL BETTER?

Immediately after your pain management injection it’s not unusual to have a sudden “flare up” of pain, or your pain might return after the freezing wears off. This is normal and does not necessarily mean your treatment was ineffective.

Cortisone can take up to 10 days to take full effect. While other injections may take from 2-4 weeks to start to take effect and up to 4-6 weeks before you experience the full benefit. Treatment site, level of inflammation, and type of treatment all influence how long before a treatment is effective.

If you develop worsening pain, skin redness at the site of injection, or a temperature greater than 38.5°C, please proceed to an urgent care or emergency centre.

If you have pain or other symptoms beyond 48 hours after your injection, please call our office at 403-568-3890 or email us at paintherapy@radiology.ca during business hours.

WHY CAN’T I HAVE ALL OF MY MSK ULTRASOUNDS ON THE SAME DAY?

The Alberta Government does not allow medical imaging technologists to perform a musculoskeletal (MSK) ultrasound on more than two body areas in one day. (Note: Abdomen, pelvis, thyroid, breast, etc. are not included in this rule). This means that if your doctor has requested an ultrasound of both hips and an ankle, we could do both hips in one visit but would need to schedule another appointment to scan your ankle. Please note that shoulders are except from this rule, you could have both shoulders and two other MSK ultrasounds done on the same day.

WHY DO I NEED TO BRING MY REQUISITION AND/OR HEALTH CARD TO EVERY APPOINTMENT?

Every imaging company is required by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta (CPSA) to confirm the identity of each patient for every appointment (not just the first one) This is why we ask you to provide photo identification and your Alberta Health Card at every visit. Your health card is used to confirm your identity and to ensure you are covered under the Alberta Health Insurance Plan. We also check that your health records match the records we have on file.

Your requisition is the paperwork which documents your doctors request for a specific treatment or exam and also explains why they are needed. The CPSA requires that we keep a copy of this document, since it’s similar to a prescription and is legal agreement for services to be performed. Sometimes your doctor may have faxed your requisition to us and it’s already in our system, but often we need to scan a copy of it when you check in. For many exams, the CPSA prevents us from performing the exam without a requisition.

WHY WEREN’T MY MAMMOGRAM AND BREAST ULTRASOUND BOOKED TOGETHER?

The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta (CPSA) requires that we first perform a baseline mammogram to determine a patient’s breast density. Then, if the mammogram shows high breast density and if your doctor has marked “Complete Breast Assessment” or “Diagnostic Breast Ultrasound” on your requisition, we can book you for a diagnostic breast ultrasound.

For a first mammogram or other instances where your breast density is not on file, the ultrasound can’t be booked with your mammogram because we don’t yet know if it’s appropriate. It’s not needed if you have low breast density, and in fact we would not be allowed to perform it in that instance as per the CPSA’s rules.

However, if your mammogram shows higher breast density and your doctor has requested an ultrasound if appropriate, an ultrasound can then be performed. Sometimes this means that you are told after your mammogram to come back for a breast ultrasound. We make every effort for this not to happen, but sometimes it’s unavoidable.

WHY CAN’T I REQUEST A FEMALE TECHNOLOGIST?

During booking you can request a female technologist for your exam, if that makes you more comfortable. We will add that note to your appointment details, but we can’t guarantee that we will be able accommodate this request at the time of your appointment. Schedules may change and we may have technologists whose availability changes on short notice. This can mean that there are not always enough female technologists available to accommodate every such request.

WHY WERE OTHER PATIENTS TAKEN INTO THEIR APPOINTMENT BEFORE ME?

At Mayfair Diagnostics, we do our best to see our patients as promptly as possible. However, our clinics provide multiple services, so you may not be called in the order you arrive. In addition, the complexity of other patient exams or unforeseen circumstances and emergencies can make an appointment go over its allotted time and cause delays. We do our best to communicate with you about any changes to your exam status where we can.