PATIENTS PERCEPTIONS OF MAGNETIC-RESONANCE-IMAGING

There are several anxiety-related reactions associated with magnetic r esonance imaging (MRI), Patients who experience such reactions may dis rupt the examination or move so much that images are degraded. These e xperiences may also influence patients' perceptions of the quality of their care. The objective of this study was to further assess the subj ective experiences of patients undergoing MRI in an attempt to identif y those patients likely to have problems and factors affecting their e xperiences. Five hundred consecutive patients undergoing MRI were surv eyed using questionnaires before and immediately after imaging. Anxiet y was measured using the state anxiety component of the state-trait an xiety inventory. All patients exhibited some degree of pre-imaging anx iety. This was particularly associated with a previous 'unpleasant' im aging experience. Patients who experienced problems during MRI had pre -imaging anxiety levels equivalent to patients about to undergo surger y, were more likely to react badly when first seeing the scanner and w ere more likely to leave the MRI unit with even greater feelings of an xiety than when they arrived. In contrast to previous studies, anxiety was not associated with either the patient's understanding of the pro cedure or the duration of the examination. Several features have been identified which could improve the patient's experience (e.g. better i nformation sheet). Awareness of MRI-related anxiety should also be con sidered when assessing the impact of MRI on outcome for the patient.