Start with a brief inquiry. Ask the receiving hospital which records, formats and translations it needs before uploading files or booking travel.
Separate the first inquiry from the clinical file
Your first message should explain the specialty you want to contact, your country and how the coordinator can reach you. It does not need to contain a child’s name, passport copy, scans or a full medical history. The next task is to establish who will review the request and how the hospital wants to receive records.
The checklist below is a planning tool, not SCMC’s published admission policy. Different departments may request different material. Do not pay for a full translation or send a large archive until the receiving team has confirmed what it needs.
Build an index before gathering more documents
| Record group | What to organize | What to confirm |
|---|---|---|
| Clinical summary | Dated letters, diagnosis wording and the reason for seeking review | Whether a treating-clinician referral is needed |
| Investigations | Reports grouped by date and test type | Which results are relevant and whether newer tests are required |
| Imaging | Written reports and the original image files if available | Accepted image format and transfer method |
| Treatment history | Procedure summaries, discharge letters and current medication list | Which supporting details the clinical team needs |
| Language | Original-language files plus any existing translations | Translation language, scope and certification requirements |
Make the timeline easy to follow
Create a one-page document index with the date, document title, issuing institution and language. Use a consistent date format such as year-month-day. A filename such as “2026-08-12_cardiology_report_original.pdf” is easier to place in sequence than “scan_final_3.pdf”. Keep the original report and its translation together.
If reports appear to contradict one another, flag the dates and ask the clinical team to interpret them. Do not rewrite diagnostic language to make different reports sound consistent. A coordinator can organize the file but cannot resolve a medical disagreement.
Agree on translation and transfer
After sending the requested material, ask which items are still missing and what happens next. A receipt means the documents arrived; it does not mean a clinician has accepted the case or that an appointment is booked.
- Ask whether the department needs English, Chinese or both; do not assume that a website’s language is the consultation language.
- Confirm whether an existing translation is acceptable and whether a translator’s certification is needed.
- Ask who should receive the file and how receipt will be acknowledged.
- Use the channel confirmed for clinical records. This website’s inquiry form and AI chat are not records-upload services.
A useful follow-up message
“We have organized the requested reports and imaging. Please confirm receipt, any missing items, which department will review the request, and what must be confirmed before we arrange travel.” This keeps the follow-up specific without asking the coordinator to make a clinical decision.
Planning checklist
- Confirmed recipient and records channel
- Document index with dates and languages
- Original files kept alongside translations
- Written confirmation of what happens next
Prepared by ChildMedCare’s editorial team as a planning resource, not an official hospital protocol.
Educational and planning information. Individual medical questions belong with qualified clinicians.