After implementing changes to streamline workflow, patient consent and scheduling of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) exams, the authors of a new study noted a 15-minute reduction in the median delay time for patients requiring sedation or general anesthesia for the MRI exam.
For the study, recently published in the Journal of the American College of Radiology, researchers performed a process mapping analysis and implemented targeted interventions in four phases in order to address delays with MRI exams in this patient population. According to the study, the interventions included: standardized booking of admission for MRI exams; a checklist for pre-admission counseling of patients at specialist outpatient clinics; improved clarity and additional staff to facilitate timely patient arrival and start times for MRI exams; and earlier incorporation of patient consent into the workflow.
Seeking to evaluate the impact of targeted interventions to reduce delays with MRIs in this patient population, the study authors compared findings from baseline MRI exams (443) versus MRIs obtained after the implementation of quality improvements (184).
After competition of the phased implementation of targeted interventions, the researchers noted a 34.7 percent reduction in MRI scan delays over 15 minutes (36.9 percent vs. 71.6 percent at baseline) and a 17.5 percent reduction in MRI scans delayed by 60 minutes or more (10.7 percent vs. 28.2 percent at baseline).
The study authors also pointed out a 50 percent reduction in the median delay time with MRI in this patient population (15 minutes vs. 30 minutes at baseline).
“Delays in MRIs, particularly those performed under sedation or (general anesthesia), can significantly impact resource utilization, timely diagnosis, and patient satisfaction. … (The study results) confirmed our hypothesis that structured interventions can reduce delays significantly,” wrote lead study author Aric Lee, MBBS, FRCR, who is a resident in the Department of Diagnostic Imaging at the National University Hospital in Singapore, Asia, and colleagues.
Three Key Takeaways
- Reduction in median delay time. The implementation of changes to streamline workflow, patient consent, and scheduling led to a 15-minute reduction in the median delay time for patients requiring sedation or general anesthesia for MRI exams.
- Significant decrease in delayed MRI scans. There was a 34.7 percent reduction in MRI scans delayed over 15 minutes (from 71.6 percent to 36.9 percent) and a 17.5 percent reduction in MRI scans delayed by 60 minutes or more (from 28.2 percent to 10.7 percent).
- Effective interventions. The interventions included standardized booking of MRI admissions, a checklist for pre-admission counseling, improved clarity and additional staff to facilitate timely patient arrival and start times, and earlier incorporation of patient consent, demonstrating the efficacy of structured interventions in reducing delays.
The second phase of the study, which involved implementation of a checklist for pre-admission patient counseling, led to a 30.2 percent reduction of MRI scans delayed by more than 15 minutes, according to the study authors.
“Many staff involved in arranging such MRI appointments may not have been aware that such an issue existed and highlighting cases of delayed MRIs to the relevant departments helped to improve this,” noted Lee and colleagues. “Useful feedback was continually gathered from the staff who were involved in the workflow, which helped to refine interventions and detect ‘blind spots’ during initial implementation.”
(Editor’s note: For related content, see “Essential Keys to MRI Safety in the Age of Advanced Diagnostics,” “Claustrophobia in Magnetic Resonance Imaging: An Analysis of Causes, Impacts and Solutions” and “MRI-Based AI Model Facilitates 50 Percent Reduction in False Positives for Prostate Cancer.”)
Beyond the inherent limitations of a single-center study, the authors emphasized that their findings in addressing delays with MRI exams were specific to MRIs conducted with patients under sedation or general anesthesia, which constitute a small percentage of MRI exams conducted in their radiology department. The researchers also acknowledged that they did not assess the impact of the interventions to reduce MRI delays upon patient and staff satisfaction.
