Children Centered Care: child and parent perspectives on a multi-faceted concept for magnetic resonance imaging without anesthesia – a survey

Background: Anxiety-provoking healthcare procedures require specific child-friendly approaches. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can cause anxiety for children and general anesthesia (GA) is often used. We developed and tested a multi-faceted child-friendly concept, Children Centered Care, for MRI of children without GA. Objective: To investigate children’s and parents’ individual experiences with the concept using a survey. The main aim was to evaluate comfort for children and sense of security for parents during unsedated MRI. Materials and methods: In this prospective study of 265 children aged 4–10 years enrolled in 2016 and 2017, the Children Centered Care concept is compared to a standard setup. The concept included an interactive app, trained pediatric radiographers, a children’s lounge with a toy-scanner, and a child-friendly multimedia environment in the scanner room. A 25-item survey was used including a mix of open and closed questions, free text, and a visual analogue scale to evaluate self-reported child comfort. Results: A total of 154 children were included in the Children Centered Care group and 111 in the standard group. Overall, the mean age was 8.5 years (range 4.0–10.9 years). With Children Centered Care, child comfort increased (88% vs. 77%), P = 0.02. The app and toy-scanner were popular among children. More parents felt “very much” prepared (80% vs. 57%), P < 0.01, and “very much” secure (92% vs. 79%), P < 0.01. Conclusion: With the use of a multi-faceted, child-friendly concept, MRI without GA is a feasible first choice for children aged 4–10 years, with high levels of comfort for children and parents.