Before booking
- Confirm the examination: body composition, diagnostic bone density, or both.
- Ask whether you need a referral and whether arranging it costs extra.
- Confirm the full fee, report inclusions and who explains the results.
- Check the clinic’s cancellation rules and any package conditions.
Before attending
Use the clinic’s instructions for your particular examination.
- Ask about clothing, food, drink, exercise and any supplements or medicines; do not change medicines on your own.
- Tell the clinic if you could be pregnant, have had recent contrast imaging, or have implants that may affect the examination.
- Bring the requested referral and previous reports if you are comparing scans.
- For a repeat scan, ask how to match the earlier scanner, timing and preparation.
During the results conversation
- Which measurements answer the question I came with?
- What do the unfamiliar labels, units and reference groups mean?
- If a number changed, is the change larger than the clinic’s measurement variation?
- Does a flagged finding need discussion with my GP or another practitioner?
- Can I have a copy of my report, and is there a useful reason to repeat the test?
My questions and notes
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Sources and companion guide
Prepared by DEXA Scans as a question prompt, not an individual preparation plan. This checklist has not received separate clinical review.
RadiologyInfo: DXA examination and preparation ↗
ISCD: official adult positions, including body composition ↗