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People with pacemakers and other implanted devices are fifty times less likely to be offered an MRI scan than those without one. This project helps dispel myths surrounding pacemakers and MRI safety, providing patients and clinicians with clear, accessible information to improve understanding and support informed decision-making.
‘The MRI process is complex, but the Design Science team have conveyed the message simply to reduce anxiety felt by the patient over their journey.‘
Doctors have long been concerned that the powerful magnets used in MRI scanners could interfere with pacemakers and other implanted cardiac devices. As a result, patients with these implants were traditionally told they could not undergo MRI scans. However, major technological advances over the past decade have made MRI safe and accessible for most people with pacemakers. Despite this progress, awareness among both patients and clinicians remains limited.
We collaborated with Dr Anish Bhuva, Associate Professor at University College London and Honorary Consultant Cardiologist at Barts Heart Centre and Whittington Hospitals, to create resources that help dispel the myth that people with pacemakers, cardiac monitors or defibrillators cannot have an MRI scan.
‘The leaflet is immediately user friendly, appealing to all age and ethnicity groups. Easy to follow with simple step by step instructions. The videos brought the leaflet to life!’
The resources required careful stakeholder engagement because of the complexities around the problem, so we worked in collaboration with six professional societies and two patient charities.
We supported workshops and online surveys to understand patient and clinician perspectives.
We then developed storyboards to inform the design of resources aimed at increasing the number of people who realise that MRI services can be accessed safely and with confidence.
The videos and leaflet are designed to be easy for everyone to understand and use.
Clinician video
‘The lack of MRI provision for pacemaker patients has had devastating consequences for cancer and other conditions. We hope these resources will help to provide the same access to MRI as everyone else.’
The project was supported by the British Heart Foundation and partnered with a range of medical societies and associations including the British Cardiovascular Society, Royal College of Radiologists and other professional societies.
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