Using the power of art and music to improve MRI experience

Working with Rijksmuseum curator (Pieter Roelofs), nine specially selected artworks were chosen as the basis of the 45 minute Dutch Masters Ambient Experience theme, where they slowly build from sketches to the final artworks to help bring feelings of calmness and wellbeing to the patient as they undergo a scan.

The paintings and sketches themselves were taken from the Rijksmuseum’s Dutch Masters collection which focuses on relaxing, open, feel-good landscapes as depicted by 19^th and 17^th century Dutch artists. For curator, Pieter Roelofs, these images not only create a sense of well-being for patients but fit in well with MRI scans as “they’ve been built up in the same way…layer by layer”.

Studies have shown that up to 40%¹ of all patients undergoing MR examinations experience medium to high levels of anxiety, and that almost 70%² of all scans are done in a head-first orientation – which is more stressful for patients than going in feet first. This discomfort can make it challenging for patients to focus on staying still and regulating their breathing, which can affect the outcome of a scan and possibly result in the need to do another.

Making patients as comfortable as possible is always the goal of healthcare professionals, and using Ambient Experience solutions such as the Dutch Masters theme helps patients to feel calmer before and during MRI examinations, contributing to a positive patient and staff experience.

The full Ambient Experience solution will soon be available at the Academic Medical Center, including the AE In-Bore Connect and the DutchMasters theme. Philips and partners hope to continue research into how the combination of music and art helps patients to feel better during scans.

The collaboration with all four partners is just one example of how innovation, art and technology can be combined to improve medical experiences for both clinicians and patients. After all, making life better isn’t just about improving diagnostic technology – it’s also about how technology makes people feel, and how the overall experience is improved from both a clinical and human viewpoint.