Improving MRI workflow, usability, and patient experience

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology is one of the most powerful diagnostic tools in contemporary clinical medicine and can inform clinicians about many diseases across a patient’s care journey. MR is part of the estimated 3.6 billion imaging procedures performed annually around the world.^[1] The global diagnostic imaging market is projected to increase another 5.7 percent by 2026, driven by the increasing interest in early disease diagnosis, the widening scope of clinical applications, a rapidly growing geriatric population, and the subsequent increase in the prevalence of associated disease.^[2]

These demands have led to a tremendous increase in the imaging exam volume that radiology departments manage daily. Unfortunately, many facilities are experiencing staffing shortages that limit their ability to handle more imaging services and sometimes disrupt patient care as they struggle to maintain the current volume.^[3] There is a need to:

• Increase the workforce in radiology departments
• Expand innovative workflow improvements
• Develop sustainably designed imaging systems that help streamline the imaging exam

Advancing MRI workflow solutions can help to ease the burden on the radiology department staff and help improve patient throughput.

Innovating MRI technology and workflow to ease radiology challenges

Industry partners such as GE HealthCare collaborate closely with customers to design and deliver solutions that can help solve radiology department challenges. MRI exam protocols and patient positioning can be challenging, and creating an intuitive collection of solutions to improve efficiencies, productivity, and patient experience is critical to manage increasing demands.

“We’re excited to bring our customers an elevated and intuitive experience in MRI,” said Jie Xue, President and CEO of Global MRI at GE HealthCare. “The SIGNA™ Experience combines workflow automation in the latest MRI user interface with deep-learning technology for extraordinary image quality. We focused on streamlining the exam process to assist users at every step of the diagnostic journey.”

Reinventing the MRI experience with innovations for users and patients

The most recent advances in MRI not only focus on pushing the limits of imaging technology but also on designing a contemporary user interface (UI) to facilitate the MRI workflow from setup through reporting.

Recently introduced by GE HealthCare, the newest MRI workflow experience creates efficiencies by anticipating user actions. The UI offers a suite of intuitive solutions for every step of the imaging process, incorporating advanced artificial intelligence (AI) automation and tools to improve workflows, reduce clicks, and decrease the strain on staff.

Traditionally, the MRI workflow has been highly demanding and complex for MR technologists. Now, with a simplified approach, keeping the user and patient at the center has resulted in an intuitively designed MRI exam process with improved usability.

“The design objectives for our new MRI experience were focused on creating a more efficient and automated workflow for the user, using embedded AI technologies that anticipate next steps, and removing the traditionally high learning curve to allow technologists of all skill levels the ability to perform all imaging exams in MRI,” Xue explained.

Advances in MRI technology have enabled radiologists to deliver personalized care. A streamlined MRI exam workflow seamlessly integrates all the steps of the process, from the hardware needed for setup and clinical applications needed for imaging to reconstruction and reporting. This enables faster exams, provides intelligent diagnostic data to support clinical decision-making, reduces exam complexity, and improves the patient experience.

Streamlining the MRI workflow from setup to reporting

GE HealthCare’s innovative UI is a predictive and proactive solution that assists technologists with exam setup, patient positioning, and image acquisition. Intelligent MR coil selection technology helps select the best coil element combinations over the precise area of interest on the patient. It’s designed to simplify exam setup and patient positioning, providing improved flexibility for patients of all sizes, which not only helps technologists but also improves the patient experience.

AI and deep-learning techniques are used to automatically detect and prescribe the imaging slices required for everything from general cases to the most challenging neurology exams. The automated workflow features optimize technologist efficiency and generate reproducible exams for consistency throughout the patient’s care journey and in clinical reporting.

Another key integrated component of the new workflow experience is GE HealthCare’s MR deep-learning imaging reconstruction algorithm. It eliminates image noise by leveraging MRI raw data with user-selectable signal-to-noise ratio improvement levels and achieves sharper, clearer, and accurate MR images. This unique, innovative technology isn’t limited to new MRI systems—it can be used on most existing installed systems.

Forward-thinking MRI designed for a sustainable future

In addition to workflow improvements, intuitive UI designs, operational automations, and AI, game-changing innovations in MRI system design are creating opportunities to improve productivity and longevity in a hospital or health system. Not only do newer MRI systems optimize the UI to gain workflow efficiency, but they also achieve better energy efficiency and use less helium. Integrating environmentally conscious design with advanced solutions can help address challenges like rising power costs and managing high patient volumes. GE HealthCare’s newest 1.5-tesla MRI and 3.0-tesla MRI are designed to use 70 percent less helium and have more than 10 percent lower power consumption.

Often, the construction challenges of installing a new MRI system causes departments to keep using existing outdated systems for longer than they would prefer. But the advent of more sustainable MRI designs with larger bores and a smaller footprint has opened the possibility for installing smaller, lighter MRI systems in areas where bulkier technology is no longer feasible. Newly developed MRI system designs also allow for hardware and software upgrade capabilities to increase the lifespan of installed technology in a hospital or health system.

Innovations in MRI technology and the development of AI-based solutions to support technologists and radiologists continues to grow. GE HealthCare is focused not only on designing and delivering sustainable, innovative technology with anticipatory interfaces and targeted AI features but also on facilitating the adoption of these tools and other digital solutions. These advances will boost efficiency across the entire MRI workflow and lessen the cognitive burden on radiologists and technologists.

 

RELATED CONTENT

• Watch the on-demand presentation: Leveling the MR learning curve with the new face of SIGNA™ MR
• Learn more about GE HealthCare’s MR solutions:
  • SIGNA™ Experience — integrated MR imaging solutions
  • SIGNA™ Victor* — the latest 1.5-tesla MRI system
  • SIGNA™ Hero – the latest 3.0-tesla MRI system

 

 

DISCLAIMER

Not all products or features are available in all geographies. Check with your local GE HealthCare representative for availability in your country.

*SIGNA™ Victor is 510(k) pending with the U.S. FDA. Not CE marked, not available for sale in all regions.

 

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