Pilot Trial of Hypnosis and Enhanced Communication Training to Reduce Anxiety, Improve Patient Satisfaction, and Decrease Movement for Patients Undergoing Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an increasingly common imaging modality used for the diagnosis and treatment of disease. Given the closed bore nature of the MRI machine itself, the need to hold still within the imaging bore, the high noise level, vibrations and other uncomfortable sensations that can be experienced during MRI, anxiety and other claustrophobia-related symptoms are relatively frequently reported . These symptoms may result in premature termination/failure of the MRI examination, or excessive patient movement which can degrade image quality and lengthen the time needed to perform the examination. Additionally, patient satisfaction scores suffer due to these negative experiences during MRI. This is especially important, as radiology departments are major influencers in overall hospital patient satisfaction scores .

Due to the substantial impact that anxiety and claustrophobia-related symptoms have on all aspects of MRI, the most common intervention provided to patients who report such symptoms are anxiolytic medications or sedation/anesthesia. These interventions can come at significant cost to patients and radiology departments and carry medical risks to the patient as well. Anxiolytic medications or sedation/anesthesia can lead to potential negative side effects, such as cardiopulmonary depression, hypotension, tachycardia, dystonic reactions, involuntary muscle movements . These adverse effects can even contribute to unsuccessful imaging themselves.

Non-medical interventions, such as clinical hypnosis and enhanced communication strategies are not well studied in MR and have the potential to provide similar benefits of anxiolytic medications or sedation in terms of reducing movement artifacts and anxiety, but with far fewer side effects and safety concerns. For example, hypnosis can reduce anxiety and operating room time during radiological procedures , reduce amounts of analgesic used , and decrease behavioral issues related to claustrophobia during MRI . Additionally, enhanced communication strategies can reduce MRI no-show and study failure rates and improve ratings in national Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) .

Thus, there is evidence to support the use of hypnosis and communication training during MRI in order to improve MR exam outcomes and patient outcomes.

The investigators hypothesis is that patients who participate in hypnosis prior to MRI will experience less anxiety and demonstrate less movement during the exam. This will lead to improved overall patient satisfaction, reduction in image repeat rates and the overall time needed to perform the MRI.