I worked for a neurosurgical practice for 4 years, and I'll share what I have learned about brain MRIs that may be helpful. I know I'm late to the game, but I have personal experience in the field, and hopefully can give you some good info!
As the neurosurgeon's assistant, I could order MRIs ASAP, and send the patient straight from the office to the hospital for their scan. It didn't matter whether the person was rich or didn't have insurance--we made sure everyone got the appropriate care for the severity of their problem and brain disorders are a #1 priority. But I won't lie--friends of the surgeon (or family, whatever) do get VIP treatment.
Once the scan is done, the pictures were put up on the radiology intranet, so the doctor could access them immediately from his computer when they were complete. I can't tell you how many times I've sat at a computer waiting for results, or even stayed late at the office waiting for scan results so I could page the MD and let him know they were finished. The system our hospital uses is outstanding, and the pictures were even better than a film. Sometimes they allowed the doctor to adjust the settings (like light, contrast, and zoom) to get a better look. Pretty cool!
A physician can order a STAT read from a radiologist. The radiologist can either dictate his/her report ASAP and have it posted on the intranet, or the physician can request to have the radiologist do a "wet read" over the phone. A wet read means the rad pulls up the films and discusses the results them over the phone with the ordering physician, and if necessary, they can hold the patient while this happens just in case more tests are indicated. Routine results, which I consider annual tests, are sometimes mailed out because they're not urgent. If the patient has questions, they are encouraged to call back, of course.
Neurosurgeons are experts in their field. A lot of time they don't need a radiology report to confirm what they see, but legally they do need it, especially if the patient is going to have surgery. I have also witnessed several instances of the neurosurgeon calling up the radiologist and correcting the radiologist's interpretation (to be a fly on the wall during those conversations!). Usually a neuroradiologist reads the brain and spine reports because they have specialized in that field, but in a pinch the on call rad can read them. We are lucky to live in a fairly urban area, but smaller cities may not have this access, unless they are part of a bigger telemedicine project.
If your patient is an agoraphobic, something interesting you might want to consider is the possibility of claustrophobia. A brain MRI requires a special "halo" to be put over the head during an MRI, which from personal experience, makes it feel even tighter in there. We have prescribed 10mg of valium for light claustrophobics, but in severe cases, the patient needs a partial or general anesthesia. But if this is the case, he would need a driver to take him home, and if he had anesthesia, he would need to be in the operating room recovery (PACU) until he could be cleared to go home. And if that's the case and you want the results fairly quickly, that might give the physician time to meet him to give him the results in person.
As far as a tech reading the results or giving the patient the results, this is soooo against the rules! They are not supposed to do anything but tell you to follow up with your physician, and they're not even supposed to tell you how long it takes to get the results because it varies so much and so many people are involved. They may be able to look at your scan and see if there is a brain tumor (or not) but their associate degree does not give them the qualifications to read them like a person with an MD can. They can miss things like a pituitary enlargement or vascular problems that aren't as discernable as a tumor.
I know this is long, sorry! Please feel free to PM me if you have any questions.
Hopefully someone else with more experience can tell you if it is a plausible scenario.
