Prepare Medical Records for a China Hospital: Checklist

When considering medical treatment abroad, your medical records are
your most important asset. Before a Chinese hospital can confirm whether
your condition can be treated, schedule a specialist team, or issue a
preliminary cost estimate, senior physicians must evaluate your clinical
history.

An incomplete file—such as a blurry smartphone photo of an X-ray or a
missing pathology note—can lead to unnecessary delays or prevent a
specialist from providing a clear assessment. Clear, organized
documentation ensures your case is reviewed efficiently by department
heads.

Cathay Medical Travel is a medical travel coordinator based in
Guangzhou. We assist international patients in organizing, translating,
and submitting their documentation to premier Grade 3A hospitals. This
guide outlines what records hospitals need, how to handle medical
imaging formats, and how to prepare your file for submission.

What Hospitals Need to
Review Your Case

To form an accurate clinical picture, hospital specialists require
original diagnostic data rather than verbal summaries. A standard
submission should include:

1. Physician Summary Letter

A current summary written by your primary physician or treating
specialist outlining: – Primary diagnosis and initial date of onset. –
Chronological history of symptoms and physical examinations. –
Interventions performed to date (surgeries, medications, radiation, or
physical therapy). – Current clinical status and the specific reason for
seeking care abroad.

2. Objective
Diagnostic and Laboratory Reports

• Histopathology and Biopsy Reports: Essential for
  oncology cases. The full report detailing tumor morphology,
  immunohistochemistry (IHC) markers, and genetic sequencing must be
  provided.
• Laboratory Panels: Recent blood work (CBC,
  metabolic panel, liver/kidney function, coagulation studies) completed
  within the last 1 to 3 months.
• Operative and Discharge Summaries: If you have had
  prior surgeries related to the condition, include the formal surgical
  notes detailing operative technique and any implanted hardware.

3.
Diagnostic Imaging Files (Reports AND Original Data)

Hospitals need both the written radiologist report
and the raw digital imaging dataset. A written report
alone is rarely sufficient; surgeons must view the underlying anatomical
structures themselves to assess surgical feasibility.

4. Medication List and
Allergies

A list of all current prescription medications, over-the-counter
supplements, exact dosages, and documented pharmaceutical or substance
allergies.

5. Identification Documents

A clear copy of your passport information page. This is required by
hospital international departments to create your patient profile and
issue formal documentation.

Condition-Specific
Documentation Requirements

Different clinical specialties require specialized baseline data:

• Major Inpatient Surgeries (Spine, Orthopedics,
  Cardiac):
  High-resolution MRI, CT, or dynamic X-rays; bone density (DEXA) scans
  for joint replacements; echocardiograms or angiograms for cardiac cases.
  (Explore our major surgeries
  package).
• Restorative Dental Care & Implants:
  Digital panoramic radiographs (OPG) or specialized dental CBCT scans;
  clear photographs of the dental arches. (Explore our dental
  package).
• Ophthalmology & Vision Correction:
  Recent visual acuity exams, corneal topography, non-contact tonometry
  (intraocular pressure), and optical coherence tomography (OCT) if
  available. (Explore our ophthalmology
  package).
• Preventative Health Check-Ups:
  Previous routine physical examination results to establish a baseline
  for comparison. (Explore our health
  check package).

How to
Get Your Imaging Files (DICOM) in the Right Format

The most frequent obstacle in international case reviews involves
medical imaging formats.

What Is a DICOM File?

Modern medical imaging systems (MRI, CT, PET, and CBCT) do not
generate standard JPEG or PNG picture files. They capture complex,
volumetric datasets saved in DICOM format
(.dcm extension). A single scan series often contains
hundreds of sequential image slices.

• AVOID: Taking a smartphone photo of an X-ray held against a window or
  computer screen.
• AVOID: Low-resolution PDF screenshots that flatten multi-layered
  cross-sectional scans.
• REQUIRED: The complete, uncompressed DICOM dataset exported directly
  from the imaging facility.

How to Request Your Raw
Scans:

1. Contact the radiology clinic or hospital where your scan was
   performed.
2. Request a “complete digital copy of my imaging study in
   original DICOM format on CD, USB, or via cloud download.”
3. Most imaging centers will provide a disc or secure patient portal
   link within 24 to 48 hours.

Preparing the Files for
Transfer:

When you open your imaging disc or download folder on a computer, you
will usually see a folder named DICOM alongside a built-in
viewing application (run.exe or similar).

Do not attempt to extract individual images.
Instead, right-click the main parent folder containing all scan files,
select “Compress” or “Add to ZIP”, and
upload that single .zip file. This preserves the internal
data structures required by Chinese hospital radiology systems.

Translation:
What Needs Translating and What Does Not?

Language barriers are a common concern for international
patients:

• English Records: Senior physicians and department
  heads at China’s top university teaching hospitals read English medical
  literature comfortably. In many cases, clearly typed English clinical
  records, operative summaries, and pathology reports can be reviewed
  directly without translation.
• Non-English Records (French, German, Spanish, Arabic,
  etc.): Documentation in languages other than English or Chinese
  should be translated into English or Chinese prior to submission.
• Certified Summaries vs. Full Translations: You
  rarely need to pay a commercial agency to translate hundreds of pages of
  daily nursing notes. A translated, comprehensive summary letter from
  your treating physician paired with translated pathology and imaging
  reports is usually sufficient for preliminary assessment.

Cathay Medical Travel assists patients by formatting and translating
necessary records into standardized clinical summaries for hospital
review.

How to Organize and Submit
Your File

To expedite your review, structure your digital files logically:

1. Use Clear File Names: Label documents by date and
   content type (e.g., 2026-08-12_Lumbar-MRI_Report.pdf,
   2026-09-01_Oncology-Summary.pdf).
2. Create a One-Page Chronological Cover Sheet:
   Include your full legal name, date of birth, nationality, a 3- to
   4-sentence overview of your condition, and your key clinical
   questions.
3. Keep Original Master Copies: Never mail away your
   only physical imaging disc or paper clinical document. Always send
   digital duplicates.

Submit Your Records for Hospital Review:
When your medical documents are assembled, you can upload your files through
our secure application form for preliminary evaluation.

What Happens After
You Submit Your Records?

1. 1File
   Audit
2. 2Hospital
   Review
3. 3Preliminary Plan
4. 4Travel
   Setup

Once your documentation is received through Cathay Medical
Travel:

1. Completeness Audit: Our coordinators check your
   files to ensure imaging archives open properly and laboratory reports
   are legible.
2. Specialist Case Submission: We present your
   portfolio to appropriate department heads at accredited Grade 3A partner
   hospitals.
3. Preliminary Plan and Cost Estimate: The clinical
   team reviews your data to confirm treatment feasibility, outlining
   projected length of stay and an estimated cost range.
4. Visa and Travel Preparation: If you decide to
   proceed, the hospital’s confirmation documents are used to arrange
   travel and obtain the appropriate entry route. For details on entry
   requirements, read our guide on which
   visa foreigners should apply for medical treatment.

Important Notice: Any treatment plan or price estimate formulated
remotely remains preliminary. Admitting physicians confirm final
treatment plans and hospital costs following your physical in-person
examination, updated blood tests, and baseline evaluations upon
arrival.

Data Privacy and
Confidentiality

Medical documentation contains sensitive personal data. Cathay
Medical Travel adheres to strict confidentiality standards: – Your
clinical records and identification documents are accessed solely for
medical evaluation. – Documentation is shared only with licensed medical
specialists and hospital foreign affairs departments directly involved
in your case. – We never share or sell personal patient information to
third-party advertisers.

Printable
Medical Record Preparation Checklist

Before submitting your case, confirm that your package includes:

• Physician Summary
  Letter: Current clinical notes detailing diagnosis, symptom
  timeline, and prior interventions.
• Diagnostic Imaging
  (DICOM): Complete, uncompressed .zip folder of raw
  MRI, CT, or X-ray files (not phone photos of film).
• Radiology Reports:
  Accompanying written interpretations for all imaging
  studies.
• Laboratory and Pathology
  Reports: Biopsy results, blood panels, and histology
  notes.
• Medication & Allergy
  Record: Itemized list of active prescriptions and drug
  sensitivities.
• Passport Copy:
  Clear, legible scan of your passport information page.
• One-Page Cover
  Sheet: Summary of your primary symptoms, goals, and key
  questions for the specialist.

Frequently Asked Questions

What
should I do if my medical records are incomplete?

Submit the documentation you currently hold. Our coordination team
can review your files and advise whether the existing data is sufficient
for an initial hospital opinion, or whether specific supplementary tests
(such as an updated scan or blood panel) are needed.

How
recent must diagnostic imaging and blood tests be?

For progressive or high-acuity conditions (such as spinal compression
or oncology), specialists generally require scans and blood work
completed within the last 3 to 6 months. For stable,
long-standing joint conditions, older imaging may provide helpful
context, though updated scans may be requested upon hospital
admission.

Can a
family member submit documentation on my behalf?

Yes. Family members, legal guardians, or personal caregivers
frequently assist in coordinating medical reviews. Please include a note
explaining your relationship to the patient on the application cover
sheet.

Can I share
files using secure cloud transfer links?

Yes. Because uncompressed DICOM imaging folders often exceed standard
email attachment limits (often several hundred megabytes), we support
secure cloud download links (Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, or
WeTransfer) via our patient application
portal.

Ready to Submit Your Case?

A successful medical journey begins with clear, well-organized
documentation.

When your records are ready, share your case through
our application form. A Cathay Medical Travel coordinator will
review your submission and guide you through the next steps of your
hospital evaluation.