More than 10% of the population share one thing in common: They live with claustrophobia, a fear of enclosed spaces. This fear can be debilitating for those who live with it and can lead to Americans putting off important health care, like MRIs and other imaging exams.
“I’m claustrophobic myself, an MRI machine is not my favorite spot to be, but one of the first things we do when we meet with our patients is build a rapport and trust,” said Colleen Hoffman, radiology administrator for MSU Health Care Incorporated. “We also offer other comfort measures, such as a washcloth over their eyes, talking to the patient through the entire exam, and letting the patient know they are in control. If they are uncomfortable and need to end the exam, then we will.”
Just last month, MSU Health Care at McLaren Greater Lansing Outpatient Imaging Center invested in another comfort measure for patients with the addition of Deep Resolve Boost. This artificial intelligence (AI) technology radically shortens scan times and improves the patient experience for anyone needing an MRI exam.
“Boost is a scanning technology that uses AI post-processing so that it can gather data faster to make the images. Instead of a patient being in the MRI machine for 30 minutes, we can do the imaging in 10-15 minutes,” said Hoffman.
Comfort was top of mind when MSU Health Care and McLaren Greater Lansing partnered to open a joint venture outpatient imaging center. The facility opened less than a year ago with all new, state-of-the-art equipment, including all wide-bore MRI machines, which have a wider bore opening than traditional scanners and more headroom, creating a better experience for patients who are larger or suffer from claustrophobia.
“I got to the imaging center about 5 minutes before my appointment, I was quickly met by a receptionist. I thought to myself, ‘Here we go, the endless wait,’” said Jeffery VanDellen, a patient at the MSU Health Care at McLaren Greater Lansing Outpatient Imaging Center.
“They called me back promptly in 5 minutes. I expected the scan to take some time, but I was quickly placed in the scanner and it was over in a matter of minutes. I looked at the technician and said, “That’s it?” I expected my appointment to last awhile, but I was in and out of there in 30 minutes or so.”
MRIs can be used to diagnose a large range of conditions, including aneurysms, disc problems in the spine, joint issues caused by injuries, stroke, tumors/other irregularities in internal organs, and brain injuries. Traditional X-rays look at dense parts of the body, such as bones and organs. MRIs can provide more information because the imaging includes soft tissues like muscles, ligaments, tendons, and discs between the bones in the spine; things that aren’t seen in a traditional X-ray.
The MSU Health Care at McLaren Greater Lansing Outpatient Imaging Center offers online scheduling and same- or next-day appointments. Click here to schedule an MRI screening.
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