Patient and Family Perspectives on Point-of-Care Low-Field Brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging for Children in the Emergency Department, Intensive Care Unit, and Hospital Setting.

BACKGROUND: Point-of-care, low-field brain magnetic resonance imaging (POC LF-MRI) systems allow for bedside neuroimaging at low magnetic field strengths. POC LF-MRI can potentially avoid drawbacks of other scanning modalities, such as radiation exposure and patient transport away from caregivers. This study aims to describe patient and family perspectives toward POC LF-MRI and compare their experiences to standard clinical neuroimaging (computed tomography [CT] or MRI) in pediatric acute care settings. METHODS: We conducted a prospective, single-center cohort study enrolling children <18 years undergoing standard-of-care clinical neuroimaging in the emergency department, inpatient units, or intensive care unit. A research POC LF-MRI was performed within 72 hours of clinical neuroimaging. Participants/families completed a survey assessing satisfaction, comfort, and imaging modality preferences. Descriptive and comparative analyses were performed. RESULTS: Of 137 participants (median age 12 years [interquartile range 8-14 years]), 94 (68.6%) underwent clinical neuroimaging with CT and 43 (31.4%) underwent conventional MRI. Participants rated their POC LF-MRI experience more favorably than conventional neuroimaging (P = 0.003) and reported greater comfort (P = 0.004). Most patients/families preferred POC LF-MRI (n = 86, 63.2%), while 16.9% (n = 23) preferred conventional neuroimaging, and 19.9% (n = 27) reported an equal preference. Among those undergoing CT, the majority (n = 54/55, 98.2%) rated radiation avoidance as important to their preferences. Patients/families found POC LF-MRI less intimidating than conventional neuroimaging (P = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: POC LF-MRI was perceived as more comfortable and preferable to conventional neuroimaging. These findings can complement the clinical implementation of bedside POC LF-MRI in pediatric acute care settings.