Everything you need to know about gathering your eye scans for a specialist review. Your scans belong to you — here's how to get them.
Patients around the world have a legal right to access their own health records, including eye scans, test results, and clinical notes. Your eye care professional, GP, or specialist is required by law to provide copies upon request.
Under the Privacy Act 1988 (Australian Privacy Principle 12), you have a right to access health information held by any health service provider. Providers must respond within 30 days.
Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), you have the right to obtain a copy of your personal health data. Providers must respond within one month.
Under the HIPAA Privacy Rule, you have the right to access and obtain copies of your health records. Providers must respond within 30 days.
Under PIPEDA and provincial health privacy laws (e.g., PHIPA in Ontario), you have the right to access your personal health information held by healthcare providers.
Under the Health Information Privacy Code 2020, you have the right to request access to your health information from any health agency.
If your country is not listed above, most nations have similar patient rights legislation. Contact your local health authority or privacy commissioner for details.
Depending on your condition, we may need some or all of the following. Upload whatever you have — our specialist will request additional imaging if needed.
Optical Coherence Tomography
A cross-sectional image of your retinal layers. This is the most important scan for many eye conditions including macular degeneration, diabetic eye disease, and glaucoma.
Retinal Photography
A colour photograph of the back of your eye showing the retina, optic disc, and macula. Essential for assessing many conditions.
Humphrey / Octopus Perimetry
A map of your peripheral and central vision. Important for glaucoma assessment and neurological conditions affecting vision.
From your eye care professional or GP
A summary of your clinical history, current findings, and the reason for seeking a specialist opinion. Helps provide context for the review.
| Format | Description |
|---|---|
| DICOM (.dcm)BEST | Gold standard for medical imaging — preserves all scan data |
| JPEG (.jpg) | Widely available — suitable for fundus photos and scan exports |
| PNG (.png) | Lossless quality — ideal for screenshots and exports |
| PDF (.pdf) | Best for reports, letters, and visual field printouts |
| TIFF (.tif) | High-quality imaging format — sometimes used by medical devices |
Maximum file size: 50MB per file. Most scan exports are well under this limit.
Use this script when calling or emailing your eye care professional to request your scans. Simply copy it, fill in your name, and send.
Hi, I'm [Your Name], a patient at your practice. I'm seeking a second opinion on my eye condition and I'd like to request digital copies of my recent eye scans and clinical notes. I understand that under applicable privacy legislation, I have a right to access my health records. Could you please email me copies of: • My OCT scans (macular and/or RNFL) • Fundus photographs • Visual field test results • Any referral letters or clinical summaries High-resolution digital files would be ideal — DICOM format for scans if possible, otherwise JPEG/PNG or PDF. Thank you for your help.
How to use: Copy this script and personalise it with your name. You can email it directly to your eye care professional's practice, or read it over the phone. Most practices will email your scans within a few business days.
Ask for files emailed or on USB — not printed copies. Digital files preserve all the detail our specialist needs.
Photos of a screen or printout lose critical detail. Always request the original digital export from the machine.
Even if only one eye is affected, scans of both eyes help the specialist compare and provide a more complete assessment.
Once you have your scans ready, submitting a case takes just a few minutes.
Submit a Case