Background

This talk will discuss the origin of the Support for Claustrophobia Clinic at the Walton Centre NHS Foundation Hospital and its evolution. Historically we had many referrals for MRI under anaesthetic which was purely for claustrophobic reasons so we applied for some charity funding to set up a radiographer led clinic to support this cohort of patients in assisting them with support to undergo MRI scanning without IV sedation or monitoring to remove the need for anaesthetic sessions and increased time slots on MR

Objective

Process Patients have privacy & personal time to speak with a member of staff, and discuss their fears, Staff can explain the procedure & coping mechanisms Build trust & rapport with the patient. The patients can see the scanners available, try lying in them & discuss adaptations to suit their needs. e.g. the use of mirrors, or a feet first approach into the scanner. The patient can thus be assessed to determine which scanner would best meet both their clinical and emotional needs prior to the appointment being made, so avoiding wasted scanning slots

Methods

Clinic Set up Initially clinics took place at the weekends Once we had used up the funding and with the success rate, Radiology directorate decided to continue this pathway With additional capacity we were able to resource this to run on a weekday Weekly clinic takes place on an afternoon where we see 2 patients each week 4 radiographers cover the service We also see some patients from external trust referrals which brings in income to the Trust

Results

836 patients have been seen since 2014 with 93% success rate Some GA cases do still take place Looking at the data 21 MRI GAs have been carried out in recent years Only 4 of these had attended clinic previously

Conclusions

The benefits to the patient: Patient able to feel more in control of their examination Appointment made on scanner most suitable to the patient emotional & clinical needs. Patient has opportunity to find out accurate information about what the examination involves, e.g.. Scan times & what is required of them. Patient build trust & rapport with staff members, discuss coping mechanisms so increasing confidence. Patient has an agreeable experience with reduced anxiety both at this appointment and in the future. Claustrophobia is not exacerbated by a bad experience in an MR scanner. Patients have a successful investigation leading to accurate diagnosis & appropriate treatment.