PRE-MRI SCREENING ERRORS: A JOINT REVIEW BY RADIOLOGY AND ANESTHESIA TEAMS

Abstract

Radiology and anesthesia teams collaboratively reviewed pre-MRI screening errors, key gaps affecting patient safety and risk management, and systemic factors contributing to omissions. Remedial measures to improve screening quality include standardized protocols, structured checklists, integration with electronic medical records, interdisciplinary communication frameworks, and formal training with competency assessments. Improving pre-MRI safety screening—especially for sedation cases—between 2020 and 2023, the radiology and anesthesia teams collaboratively analyzed pre-MRI screening errors recorded in the institution’s incident reporting system. The joint review highlighted essential omissions that could compromise patient safety and indicated systemic factors leading to errors. Pre-MRI screening aims to detect contraindications, identify safety hazards, ensure equipment availability, capture medical history, and select the optimal protocol for patients undergoing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (Vosshenrich et al., 2021). Screening remains crucial when anesthesia or sedation is required, as MRI presents challenges in providing care while monitoring patients (Batty et al., 2019). MRI screening errors have been cited by multiple sources as high-risk omissions during monitored anesthesia care, with anesthesia teams remaining directly responsible for eligibility assessment.