Medical image transfer
Send large medical imaging files securely
Share exported medical imaging files with the people who need them. Understand the file-delivery steps, what your recipient needs to open the files, and the requirements for sending protected health information.
Sending patient information? Start with Business and your office’s BAA process.
A practical handoff
Export. Check. Send. Download.
Agree on the files and the recipient’s next step before you start the transfer.
- Export
Start with the right files
Use the export your imaging provider or system supplies. Confirm which files belong in the handoff and keep the complete export available. SendThisFile delivers files you add; it does not retrieve studies from an imaging system.
- Check
Confirm the recipient can use them
Check the recipient’s address, the format they accept, and the software they use to open it. Resolve those details before uploading. A successful file download does not establish that the images can be viewed.
- Send
Protect the download
Add the recipient and exported files in SendThisFile. For protected health information, use your office’s Business account and BAA process. Apply the required recipient verification and download password, then send the transfer link.
- Download
Check the handoff in Activity
The recipient follows the link, completes the required access checks, and downloads the files. Activity shows the download outcome and scheduled access end. You can end access sooner; this does not recall files already downloaded.
Before sending patient information
Use Business with your office’s BAA and safeguards.
For electronic protected health information (ePHI), use the SendThisFile Business account, Business Associate Agreement (BAA), and settings your office has established. Free and Standard are not approved by SendThisFile for sending ePHI.
Business is eligible for our standard BAA. Your office remains responsible for deciding who may send and receive patient files and which protections the handoff needs. A file transfer alone does not establish HIPAA compliance.
Review Business protections and the BAA processKnow what fits
Delivering an image file is not the same as viewing it.
SendThisFile handles the file handoff between people. Your imaging tools handle what is inside the files.
Use SendThisFile for the handoff
Deliver large, already-exported files through a download link instead of an email attachment. Protect the transfer and temporary storage, apply Business recipient controls, and check the outcome in Activity.
Keep imaging work in imaging tools
SendThisFile is not a medical-image archive (PACS), DICOM viewer, EHR integration, or image-processing or conversion service. It does not replace a clinical or emergency delivery system.
Before you send
Questions about medical-image delivery
DICOM stands for Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine. It is a standard for medical images and related information, not a promise that any recipient can open any export. Read the DICOM standard’s overview.
Can I send exported DICOM files?
SendThisFile provides file delivery, not DICOM interpretation. Confirm the complete export and format with your imaging provider and recipient before sending. The recipient needs suitable software to open the files; SendThisFile does not provide a medical-image viewer.
What does the recipient need to download and open the files?
The recipient needs the transfer link and must complete any verification or download-password checks required for the transfer. Downloading the files and opening them are separate steps: confirm suitable viewing software and enough local storage before the handoff.
How does SendThisFile protect the transfer?
Files are encrypted while they travel between the user’s browser and SendThisFile and while temporarily stored awaiting download. Business can require recipient verification and a separate download password. Your office chooses the protections its workflow requires.
How long are Business files available?
Business applies a 30-day availability window. Activity shows when access is scheduled to end, and the sender can end access sooner. Use your organization’s systems for long-term records; SendThisFile is a temporary file-delivery service, not a medical-image archive.
Give exported imaging files a protected path.
Review how SendThisFile Business fits your office’s file-sharing process before sending patient information.
Read about SendThisFile security