Why do I have to wait months for examinations?

The Department of Radiology,University of Szeged performs over 190,000 radiological examinations annually, which amounts to more than 500 examinations per day. Since the Szent-Györgyi Albert Clinical Center serves as a tertiary care center in many areas, we not only examine patients from our immediate catchment area but also receive patients from distant parts of the country. The current balance between capacity and the number of examination requests can result in waiting times of several months in some areas. However, we are working to provide appointments as quickly as possible. Recently, we have even organized shifts past midnight. It's important to prioritize examinations based on their urgency.

Can I get an appointment sooner with fee-based patient care?

The University of Szeged offers fee-based patient care through Mediversal Kft., in addition to publicly funded healthcare. Appointments through fee-based care often have shorter waiting times. You can find more information on the Mediversal Kft. website.

It's difficult to reach the appointment booking phone lines.

You can schedule appointments by phone during business hours at the Department of Radiology. Despite having 3-4 colleagues answering calls, there are days when we receive a high volume of calls and cannot answer them all immediately. Please try again a few hours later in such cases. Occasionally, technical issues may occur with our phone system, and if detected, our IT colleagues usually fix the issue within 1-2 days.

Which button should I press in the automated phone system to book appointments for different examinations?

Our automated phone system allows you to easily choose from various appointment scheduling options for different examinations, helping reduce call volume. Using your phone's keypad, you can select from the following menu options:

0: Other information (no appointment scheduling here)

1: X-ray, CT, and MR appointment scheduling

2: Mammography appointment scheduling

3: Pediatric ultrasound appointment scheduling

4: Adult ultrasound appointment scheduling

9: Repeat the list

I need to return for a follow-up appointment sooner than my imaging examination.

The Department of Radiology operates a unique appointment system. We place patients on a waiting list and notify them when new shifts become available. We can also specify when the examination should be completed on the waiting list. Please inform our colleagues during data verification when you expect to return for a follow-up appointment with your treating physician. If we have the opportunity, we will try to schedule an appointment for you. However, the principle of urgency applies here as well, and we cannot always guarantee immediate scheduling.

When are the examinations conducted?

Imaging examinations are performed during business hours. Urgent patient care and urgent examinations for inpatients are available 24/7. In cases where appointment duration requires it, we also conduct examinations in shifts. This includes scheduling CT and MR examinations between 8:00 AM and midnight, and occasionally, we schedule MR examinations after midnight. Please inform our colleagues if you cannot attend an early morning appointment.

How long does the reporting take?

We automatically upload examination reports to the National eHealth Infrastructure (EESZT) upon completion. Reporting for X-rays, ultrasounds, mammograms, and interventional procedures is typically done on the same day. We aim to provide CT and MR reports within a week. Some cases may require longer reporting times. Occasionally, when there are more radiographers than doctors, the reporting time for CT and MR examinations may be extended. Specialized examinations may require the expertise of a few experienced specialists, which can also prolong reporting times.

How do I receive the examination report?

Examination reports are automatically uploaded to the National eHealth Infrastructure (EESZT) upon completion. You can download the report by logging in through the client gateway. You can also pick up the report in person during business hours at our reception desk. If you request it, we can provide the image documentation on a CD, but this may take some time. Depending on system load, we can typically prepare the CD within 15-30 minutes. To protect your data, we do not release reports via email or to anyone without proper authorization.

Why can appointments only be requested by phone?

At the Department of Radiology, appointments can only be scheduled by phone. We prefer not to take away necessary attention from patients coming in for examinations by handling appointment scheduling at our reception desks in person. We are working on establishing conditions for online appointment scheduling.

I arrived for my appointment, why do I still have to wait?

We conduct examinations in the order of urgency. We try to accommodate urgent patient examinations within our schedule to prevent appointment delays, but sometimes, multiple urgent cases arise. It's also possible that during the examination, it becomes evident that more measurements are needed, in which case we typically notify patients waiting for their examinations. If an equipment malfunction necessitates rescheduling, we attempt to inform patients with appointments. Please provide a phone number during data verification that we can use to reach you before your examination if any issues arise.