Patient Anxiety and Satisfaction in a Magnetic Resonance Imaging Department: Initial Results from an Action Research Study

Purpose: The way patients experience health care is largely dependent on the attitudes and actions of the health care professionals they encounter. In medical imaging, the radiographer is often the biggest provider of patient care. Patients undergoing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can experience anxiety and claustrophobia. The aim of this study was to determine current levels of anxiety and satisfaction within an MRI unit.

Methods: An action research study was conducted in an MRI unit in a large metropolitan hospital. The focus of this study was on improving patient care within the department. The initial phase of this study focused on determining current levels of anxiety and satisfaction within the department. To achieve this, a survey was conducted of patients attending the department for imaging.

Results: Surveys were returned from 120 patients. Overall, the mean anxiety was 2.617 on a 10-point scale (0 = no anxiety, 10 = maximum anxiety; 95% confidence interval, 2.075-3.159; standard deviation, 3). Overall, the mean satisfaction was 8.86 (95% confidence interval, 8.459-9.254; standard deviation, 2.15). There was a statistically significant difference between anxiety for patients who received information and those who did not (information = 2.29, no information = 4.0, P = .045).

Conclusions: Although the vast majority of patients are satisfied with the care they receive during MRI, anxiety is still an issue. The provision of information has been linked to lower levels of anxiety with these patients. The findings from this survey provide insight as to how patients perceive the MRI department and can be used as a benchmark for future surveys to determine if any changes can be made to further improve satisfaction and anxiety during MRI.