[Anxiety for MRI- or CT-examination: the impact of psychological treatment]

Abstract

Anxiety frequently leads to prematurely discontinued MRI- or CT-examinations, with negative consequences for patient experience, workflow, treatment and cost. To reduce this anxiety to manageable proportions, psychological interventions appear to be more effective than mere information provision or technological improvements. Two case studies illustrate the impact of different approaches in anxiety reduction, supporting the results of a retrospective study of 68 patients. Here, 74% of patients successfully completed an MRI or CT scan after personalized eclectic treatment. For most patients, one or two treatment sessions were sufficient.