Pre-MRI patient experience on Instagram

Introduction: Distress and anxiety are commonly reported during the Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) experience¹ with prior studies² ³ suggesting the pre-MRI period is a time of heightened distress. There is a paucity of literature exploring preprocedural distress and anxiety, in particular qualitative research analysing patient experience³. Instagram is rapidly becoming an important social media platform though which to conduct health research. A gradually increasing number of studies have examined social media to gain insight into patient experience within medical radiation science (MRS)³. This study is considered as the first to explore patient experience of MRI using Instagram as a data source.

Methods: This study investigated the patient experience during the pre-MRI period by performing a content analysis⁴ on open-source Instagram posts⁵. Ethical approval for the study was sought and approved by Charles Sturt University, Human Research Ethics Committee⁶.

Results: Six themes emerged from the extracted data; Journey to the MRI, Waiting, Anticipating the MRI procedure, Preparing for the MRI procedure, Negative interaction, and Fear of the results.

Conclusion: The findings of this study provide novel self-reported and unsolicited insight into the diverse, multifactorial, and often concomitant nature of pre-procedural MRI anxiety and distress. Implications for practice: This study adds to a growing body of literature advocating for a compassionate, holistic, and person-centered approach when caring for patients in MRI that also considers their emotional and psychological wellbeing.