Patients' knowledge, perception, and experience during magnetic resonance imaging in Ghana: A single centre study

The Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) environment has the potency of inducing anxiety, panic attacks, and claustrophobia in patients with some patients describing it as being placed in a long confining tube. Therefore, having patients that are well-informed concerning the diagnostic tests they are about to undergo can contribute to these patients experiencing reduced anxiety, greater satisfaction, and participation in their care which is key in gaining patients' cooperation and compliance during imaging procedures such as MRI. This study purposed to assess patients' knowledge, perception and experience when undergoing MRI examination.

A prospective quantitative approach was adopted for the study and was conducted in a leading teaching hospital in the Greater Accra region of Ghana. The study involved patients who were referred to undergo MRI examination from June to December 2019. Primary data was collected using closed-ended questionnaires as the research tool. The researchers self-administered and explained the details of the questionnaire thoroughly to all the patients.

Two hundred and four (51%) out of the 400 respondents were males as compared with 196 (49%) females. The most common age group was 41-60 years with a total number of 156 (39%) participants. 120 (30%) indicated they were schooled on MRI by family and friends, 88 (22%) by their referring clinicians, and 65 (16%) indicated other health personnel as their source of knowledge. 228 (57%) indicated that MRI is not safe for pregnant women, 130 (32.5%) indicated it was whilst 42 (10.5%) were not sure. 208 (52%) of the respondents believed MRI can cause cancer, 140 (35%) responded that it does not whilst 52 (13%) were not sure. Also, 312 (78%) indicated that their doctors did not inform them about the use of the contrast medium.

The study revealed that majority of the respondents were schooled on MRI by family and friends instead of their referring clinicians. Most of these family and friends may not necessarily be qualified health personnel which accounted for more than half of the respondents having a misconception that MRI causes cancer similar to other ionizing imaging modalities. The study further revealed that some referring clinicians did not educate their patients on requested MRI examinations causing radiology staff to spend more time educating them resulting in a decrease in productivity.

The study will bring to bear the gaps in patient's knowledge concerning MRI which will help referring clinicians and radiology staff adopt strategies to ensure that patients are well educated on MRI examinations they have been referred to undertake. This will in effect reduce the time spent by radiology staff in educating and gaining patients' compliance during such examinations resulting in a decrease in waiting and scanning time leading to an overall increase in workflow.