Whole-body MRI: social media perspectives and opportunities for radiologist engagement

Whole-body MRI (WB-MRI) has gained popularity as a direct-to-consumer, comprehensive screening exam. Although the American College of Radiology does not recommend WB-MRI for asymptomatic individuals due to concerns about overdiagnosis, public interest continues to grow. This study evaluates public opinions and sentiments toward WB-MRI by analyzing discussions on Reddit, a social media platform rich in health-related discourse.

Using the Reddit API, we collected posts containing the terms "whole body mri," "ezra mri," and "prenuvo mri." One reviewer screened posts for relevance, and two reviewers independently applied an a priori coding framework to classify user type, sentiment, and thematic content. Posts were evaluated for stance toward WB-MRI and whether the user reported undergoing WB-MRI screening. Descriptive statistics were calculated.

Of 17,177 posts collected, 3077 relevant posts were written by 1932 unique users from 2013 to 2024. Posting peaked in August 2023, accounting for 38% of posts following a viral influencer endorsement. Most users were from the general public (89%); 5% were non-physician healthcare professionals, 3% were non radiologist physicians, 2% were radiologists, and 1% were researchers. Overall, 47% opposed WB-MRI, 25% favored it, 20% were neutral, and 7% expressed mixed views. Only 4% reported undergoing WB-MRI, with most describing positive experiences. Common themes included early detection and preventive health (11%), information exchange (10%), cost (9%), ethical and health equity concerns (7%), and advertising practices (7%).

Reddit discussions demonstrate strong interest but substantial uncertainty regarding WB-MRI, highlighting opportunities for radiologists to engage online and support evidence-based public discussions about preventive imaging.