A quality improvement project to reduce magnetic resonance imaging sedation in children

Our institution decided to implement an awake MRI scanning quality improvement project using audiovisual distraction (AVD) technology.

To reduce the utilization of minimal/moderate sedation by at least 20% in children 4 to 18 years, while maintaining comparable diagnostic quality and adhering to allotted exam times, through the implementation of an awake MRI program.

This project was conducted at a pediatric sedation clinic between October 2021 and January 2024. We included patients 4 to 18 years of age, scheduled for an MRI at the pediatric hospital, and eligible for either minimal/moderate sedation or AVD. The outcome measure was the percentage of patients referred to our sedation clinic who completed an MRI with AVD and without sedation, analyzed on a statistical process control (SPC) P-Chart. Process measures were the number of children eligible for AVD per month, analyzed on an SPC C-Chart. Balance measures were the number of studies that exceeded allotted exam time or were non-diagnostic.

Of 734 MRI referrals aged 4 to 18 years, 320 patients met inclusion criteria. Two hundred twenty-eight (71.3%) received minimal/moderate sedation (mean age [SD] 9.7 years [± 3.0]) and 92 (28.8%) underwent AVD (mean age 10.0 years [± 2.7]). The average monthly decrease in minimal/moderate sedation use was 28.8 percentage points. The average number of children considered eligible for AVD increased by special cause variation from 3.8 to 7 patients per month. All 92 MRI referrals triaged to AVD completed their MRI successfully without sedation; all studies were diagnostic, and 96% of studies were within the allotted exam time.

We implemented an awake MRI program with AVD that decreased monthly sedation needs by 28.8 percentage points while maintaining a high rate of diagnostic studies and no MRI delays.