We know—no one likes the waiting game. Anyone who has ever stepped foot into a clinic or a general hospital in the United States has experienced the world of waiting for appointments, receiving results, or booking consultations with specialists.
It is not unusual for this waiting time to cause more health-related worries to kick in, but understanding the long waiting times in the healthcare industry might help us ease our concerns.
Whether the delays are because of the volume of patients seeking medical care, the complex nature of numerous medical processes, and the need to coordinate with multiple offices, specialists, physicians, healthcare workers, and agencies, among others, you can be assured that people are making sure your specific needs will be met too. After all, the American healthcare industry is a giant system with a thousand moving parts, all working day in and day out to meet people’s health needs and bridge people closer to health.
A CT scan result is no exception to these long waiting times. So, hold your question, “How long does it take to get CT scan results?”—because we’re going to talk all about it in this article.
How Long Does a CT Scan Take?
A CT scan procedure takes less than an hour to complete. Some health institutions report around 15 minutes, while others indicate that the procedure lasts just an hour. Regardless, preparing well before the CT scan and reserving at least an hour or two from your day for the procedure is important.
How Long After a CT Scan Do You Get Results?
The typical waiting time for CT scan results is about 24-48 hours.
However, to truly answer the question of how long it takes to get CT scan results, it typically depends on various factors. Sometimes, additional analysis by the radiologist and the referring physician is necessary before they finalize and communicate the findings.
In emergencies, CT scans are often processed faster to provide immediate results. Even so, there are instances where, despite the radiologist completing their detailed report, your doctor may need extra time to review and interpret the results before sharing them with you.
Why Do CT Scan Results Take So Long?
CT scan results typically take a long time because there is no room for error. It does not aim to give you false, inaccurate, or misleading results that can change the course of your life or get in the way of a supposedly effective and successful medical intervention.
Right after you complete your CT scan, the rendered images have to go through the careful eyes of a radiologist. With their expertise, they will analyze the details of your CT scan and identify any abnormalities. This step requires time, given the complexity of the technology and the image it renders. You would want your radiologist to notice anything amiss with your internal organs, tissues, and bones, especially because CT scans also cost you a significant amount of money.
It’s not only your CT scan that they will have to go through, too. In a day, there will be many scans to interpret. Radiologists can easily get fatigued with viewing complex, grayscale images in one go, so they need the right amount of time to give each result the proper care and attention. It is a combination of expertise, speed, and precision that must not be sacrificed.
The radiologist then shares the detailed result with your referring healthcare provider, usually your doctor. Your doctor views these results as adjacent to the rest of your medical conditions and medical history and decides on the best treatment plan when necessary. In order to be accurate, your doctor also has to coordinate with other specialists, especially ones you have been in contact with.
Do They Tell Your Results at a CT Scan?
You will not receive your CT scan results right after you undergo the procedure in the hospital. This is because the results need to go through a number of medical experts before reaching you.
Expert analysis is required to interpret the results and communicate them clearly to you, and those who operate the CT scan procedure for you are not at liberty to share anything at this point. There are designated people who can give you verified and medically accurate results of the CT scan you underwent.
However, if something goes awry somewhere in the process and someone who is not your referring doctor shares with you what they found on your CT scan, this may put you at risk of misunderstanding things. You may panic while working on incomplete information or make crucial decisions about your health without the knowledge and guidance of your doctor.
It is important to note that these results take time for your sake—what you hear from your physician ensures that you receive accurate and reliable medical information.
Take a Proactive Approach to Your Health with Craft Concierge
At Craft Concierge, we understand the importance of giving the appropriate amount of time for all medical procedures while ensuring that your needs are met promptly. Our dedicated healthcare team works to guide you through every step, partnering with reliable and efficient medical services to deliver accurate results.
If you’re still wondering how long does it take to get CT scan results, don’t worry, our system enables us to make sure that our patients are not subjected to unnecessary waiting by keeping a team of professionals who prioritize you. If you feel ready to take active steps through the uncertainties of healthcare, you can enjoy all these and more for a reasonable healthcare plan with us—contact us today.
