Optimisation and Technological Advances in Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance to improve Access and Screening

Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) can comprehensively assess cardiac function and structure, with a unique capability for tissue characterisation. However, its access remains limited due to general availability. Additionally, CMR has lengthy preparation and acquisition times. Various optimisation methods and techniques have been proposed to streamline CMR workflow and shorten total acquisition times. These include patient preparation, rapid imaging protocols, sequences developments, deep learning-based image acceleration and reconstruction, as well as automated image analysis and report generation. Together, these advances may grant CMR access to more patients and even enable more accessible non-invasive cardiac screening of high-risk and general population in the future. This narrative review provides an overview of different concepts and technologies aiming at optimising CMR in terms of workflow and image acquisition and highlights the opportunities for high-volume CMR studies to support more patient-centred cardiovascular care.