How Consumerism is Transforming MRI Departments
In today's healthcare landscape, patients are no longer passive recipients of care. They're taking an active role, searching for convenience and a comfortable experience. This trend, known as healthcare consumerism, is reshaping the priorities of MRI departments to focus more on improving the patient experience.
In this article we’ll look at how patients are changing the game for MRI departments, and how upgrading your existing MRI scanners—especially if your facilities have eligible GE HealthCare MRI scanners—can help your facility address patients’ demands and remain competitive. Learn how smart investments can enhance patient satisfaction and streamline your operations.
What is Healthcare Consumerism?
Think about how you choose a restaurant or a hotel. You look for convenience, quality service, and a good value. Patients are now applying those same standards to healthcare. They want faster and more convenient scheduling, shorter scan times, and an overall more comfortable experience.
A recent Accenture survey found that 50% of patients would switch providers for better service, and 70% prefer online scheduling.1 This shift is forcing MRI departments to adapt and prioritize the patient experience. In 2023, the top priority for MRI departments was to improve patient satisfaction with their MRI experience.2
The Impact of Consumerism on MRI Departments: Key Considerations to Improve the Patient Experience
Demand for Shorter Wait Times and Scheduling Convenience
Patients want quick appointments and fast results. A Deloitte study revealed that over 60% of patients are frustrated with healthcare wait times.3 Some MRI departments are responding by offering online scheduling and by investing in advanced systems that allow facilities to see more patients per day, accommodating for the growing demand and reducing scheduling delays.
Increased Focus on Shorter Scan Times and Efficiency
Consumers expect efficiency, and MRI departments are responding by adopting advanced imaging techniques and AI-powered systems to help reduce scan times and improve image quality. This means that patients spend less time in the scanner and can help improve the time it takes to get results.
A More Comfortable and Calm Experience
Many patients find MRI scans uncomfortable, even anxiety-inducing. The reported incidence of premature termination or failure of MRI examinations can be as high as 14.5%, and the reported incidence of anxiety‐related reactions during MRI reaches 37%.4,5
To improve comfort, MRI departments are upgrading to machines with wider bores, investing in noise reduction features, and using lighter, more comfortable coil technology. These improvements can significantly enhance patient satisfaction as well as attract more patients.
Investing in New Technology to Improve the Patient Experience
As patients demand more from healthcare, many older MRI scanners may not have the capabilities to address those demands. Investing in modern technology can help improve your patients’ experience and satisfaction – but that doesn’t necessarily mean you have to replace your whole scanner.
That’s where the Signa™ Continuum comes in. With a GE HealthCare MRI scanner, your system is designed to be upgraded while keeping your existing magnet to bring you to the forefront of MRI technology with less downtime and costs than a traditional whole scanner replacement.
Benefits of Upgrading vs. Replacing
Reduce Capital Investment: Upgrading allows you to take advantage of AI-powered imaging technology, wide bore patient-friendly machines, and faster scans—all for a fraction of the cost of a total replacement.
Minimize Downtime: Replacing an MRI system can be a lengthy process. Upgrading can help with keeping downtime to a minimum, so you can get back to serving your patients faster.
Sustainability and Environmental Impact: Going the upgrade route isn't just smart financially—it's also a win for the environment. Preserving your existing magnet reduces waste, helium consumption, and reconstruction costs. This makes upgrading smarter financially and environmentally.
By Upgrading Your GE HealthCare MRI System, You Can:
Improve Scan Times and Throughput: Reduce scan times by up to 50%, improving workflows and increasing patient throughput with AIR™ Recon DL.
Expand Bore Size to Improve Patient Comfort: Transform your existing system form a 60cm to a 70cm wide-bore scanner to create more room for your patients and reduce claustrophobia and anxiety*
Enhance Patient Comfort: Get innovative new coil technology that is lighter, more flexible, and allows for more comfortable positioning with AIR™ Coils.
Expand Capabilities to Improve Access: imaging features open new service opportunities, driving improved patient access and increasing revenue streams.
As patients demand more from healthcare, MRI departments are feeling the squeeze. Upgrading your MRI system is a great way to keep patients happy without breaking the bank.
By embracing this shift towards consumerism and investing in upgrades, MRI departments can improve patient satisfaction, increase efficiency, and stay ahead of the competition. Waiting to modernize could mean falling behind competitors, missing out on revenue, and impacting the quality of care you provide.
Learn more about how GE HealthCare's MRI upgrades can help you improve efficiency, enhance patient care, and future-proof your MRI systems.
Embedded Sources
- Accenture, "Today’s Consumers Reveal the Future of Healthcare," 2022.https://www.accenture.com/ca-en/insights/health/todays-consumers-reveal-future healthcare
- IMV 2023 MR Market Outlook Report (survey conducted Sept.-Nov. 2022)
- Deloitte, "2019 Global Health Care Outlook: Shaping the Future," Deloitte Insights.https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/my/Documents/risk/my-risk-sdg3-2019-global-healthcare-outlook.pdf
- Harris, L. M., Cumming, S. R. & Menzies, R. G. Predicting anxiety in magnetic resonance imaging scans. Int. J. Behav. Med.
- Eshed, I., Althoff, C. E., Hamm, B. & Hermann, K. G. Claustrophobia and premature termination of magnetic resonance imaging examinations. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 26, 401–404,
*Increase bore size from 60cm to 70cm with a SIGNA EVO upgrade.
