There’s no way to dodge it completely: MRI scanners need downtime. That downtime can be very expensive in time and dollars.
But scanner downtime isn’t entirely outside your control. Addressing some of the main causes of scanner downtime can actually increase patient satisfaction and save your practice tens of thousands of dollars per year.
Cost and Causes of MRI Scanner Downtime
Annually, MRI machines are offline between 30 and 60 hours for repair. Typical scans lasts anywhere from 15 to 60 minutes and costs $2,611 on average. Some research found that scans can cost patients as little as
$474 or as much as $13,259. There’s a number of contributing factors to patients’ final cost, including where you go and what you’re having scanned.
Let’s keep things simple and assume that scans take one hour and cost the patient just $2000 per scan. That puts the expense of
MRI machine downtime at somewhere between
$60,000 and $120,000 per year. Keep in mind that’s arguably a conservative figure. If your practice typically charges more than $2000 or takes less than an hour per scan, you could be losing out on a lot more.
And that’s just the dollar figure.
What lost revenue doesn’t account for is delayed procedures, disrupted schedules, and unhappy patients. In today’s labor market, where many hospitals and clinics are chronically understaffed, unplanned MRI downtime is another bottleneck that can impact efficiency and put further strain on your team.
Tips to Reduce MRI Downtime
There’s no cheating physics. Machines wear and need repair. Routine maintenance comes with the territory of owning and operating large, complex hardware.
But not all downtime is related to maintenance. Re-scans are the most common cause for unplanned downtime. And most re-scans stem from patient anxiety and claustrophobia. In fact,
12% of MRI scans are terminated or result in unclear images due to patient anxiety or movement. That number is higher for children.
Here are a couple tips to alleviate patient anxieties and prevent unnecessary MRI machine downtime due to rescans:
Schedule more one-on-one Time with Patients
They say you have to spend money to make money; the same is true with time. Consider having MRI technologists spend more time with patients before scans. A small investment in your technologists’ time can go a long way. Use that time to get to know patients, explain the process, answer questions, and establish trust. On the day of, patients look to their technologist for reassurance.
Technologists should also try to gauge patient comfort levels. If someone seems like they aren’t ready, you could be re-scanning them again later.
Provide Patients with a Positive Distraction
Not all distractions are disruptive. In fact, music can be a great way to relax patients and give them a feeling of control during the scan. For many, music can provide an effective alternative to general sedation during an MRI.
MRIaudio’s Premium Sound System combines sound-masking technology with high-fidelity audio to protect patients’ hearing and create a soothing MRI experience. The result is happier, calmer patients and fewer aborted scans.
Final Thoughts
MRIadudio’s sound solutions help create an MRI experience that’s safer and more comfortable for patients and is easy for technicians to use. For imaging centers, the results have often reduced the need for patient sedation, rescans, and scanner downtime.
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