Singer Clara, Boldor Noga, Vaknin Sharona, Olmer Liraz, Wilf-Miron Rachel, Myers Vicki
The Gertner Institute for Epidemiology and Health Policy Research, Sheba Medical Center, 5266202, Tel Hashomer, Ramat-Gan, Israel.
School of Public Health, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Israel.
Isr J Health Policy Res. 2025 Mar 26;14(1):14. doi: 10.1186/s13584-025-00677-5.
Wait times (WTs) for Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) are rising in many countries. Long WT delay diagnosis and treatment, and affect patient satisfaction. Little research has examined the patient experience of scheduling and waiting for an MRI. This study aimed to assess difficulty of scheduling an appointment for MRI from patients' perspectives; and to identify factors associated with longer WT and greater difficulty.
An online survey of patients' experience of scheduling an MRI was conducted in January-February 2023 among a representative sample of 557 Israeli adults. All participants had undergone an MRI in the public health system within the past year.
Median WT was 1-2 months and did not differ significantly by demographic variables or exam type. 28% considered the WT unreasonable. WTs ≥ 1 month were reported by two thirds of respondents; longer WT were reported for respondents who tried to get an earlier appointment compared to those who did not (p < 0.001). WT for radiology report was significantly related to shift (shorter WT for morning MRI exams, p = 0.045), sex (men reported shorter WT, p = 0.042) and age (over 55s reported shortest WT, p = 0.006). In a stepwise logistic regression modeling the probability of finding the process difficult, significant factors included time between referral and calling to schedule, tried multiple sites, tried to get an earlier appointment, WT for report, and overall reasonableness of WT.
Many patients experienced some difficulty scheduling an MRI, particularly when calling multiple sites, since there is no centralized point of contact. HMO agreements can also lengthen the wait. Alongside objective metrics documented by service providers, it is important to consider patients' perspectives in scheduling imaging. While efforts have been made in recent years to tackle MRI WT, adding scanners and personnel, the majority of patients wait at least a month, and the process of scheduling and waiting for an appointment can be challenging. Policy changes, including greater transparency of WTs in different institutions, and a centralized booking center for MRI, could be considered to streamline the appointment process and reduce the challenges patients face.
许多国家磁共振成像（MRI）的等待时间（WTs）正在上升。长时间的等待会延迟诊断和治疗，并影响患者满意度。很少有研究探讨患者在安排和等待MRI检查方面的体验。本研究旨在从患者角度评估安排MRI检查预约的难度；并确定与更长等待时间和更大难度相关的因素。
2023年1月至2月，对557名以色列成年人的代表性样本进行了关于安排MRI检查患者体验的在线调查。所有参与者在过去一年内在公共卫生系统接受过MRI检查。
中位等待时间为1至2个月，在人口统计学变量或检查类型方面无显著差异。28%的人认为等待时间不合理。三分之二的受访者报告等待时间≥1个月；与未尝试提前预约的受访者相比，尝试提前预约的受访者报告的等待时间更长（p<0.001）。放射学报告的等待时间与班次显著相关（上午MRI检查的等待时间较短，p=0.045）、性别（男性报告的等待时间较短，p=0.042）和年龄（55岁以上的人报告的等待时间最短，p=0.006）。在逐步逻辑回归模型中，发现过程困难的概率的显著因素包括转诊和打电话预约之间的时间、尝试多个地点、尝试提前预约、报告的等待时间以及等待时间的总体合理性。
许多患者在安排MRI检查时遇到了一些困难，尤其是在拨打多个地点的电话时，因为没有集中的联系点。健康维护组织（HMO）的协议也会延长等待时间。除了服务提供商记录的客观指标外，在安排成像检查时考虑患者的观点也很重要。尽管近年来已努力解决MRI等待时间问题，增加了扫描仪和人员，但大多数患者至少等待一个月，安排和等待预约的过程可能具有挑战性。可以考虑政策变化，包括提高不同机构等待时间的透明度，以及建立MRI集中预约中心，以简化预约过程并减少患者面临的挑战。
