Becker's Spine Review

21 Executive Briefing SPONSORED BY T he demand for MRI scans is growing and the location of MRIs is shifting, with more scans taking place in physicians' offices. At the same time, MRI technology is advancing, improving physicians' diagnostic capabilities and enhancing the patient experience. Becker's recently spoke with three MRI experts from Esaote, one of the leading MRI companies in the world, about trends in MRI imaging, advantages of providing MRI scans in surgeons' offices, how Esaote is supporting physicians in this transition to in-office MRIs — especially in a value-based environment — and how imaging is likely to evolve in the future. Representatives from the Esaote team were: • Stephen Gibbs, MRI sales and marketing manager, North America • Sheila Hughes, MRI clinical applications manager for SLT, North America • Giacomo Pedretti, global customer marketing manager Why demand for MRI scans is growing A few macro factors are driving the growing demand for MRIs. The population is aging, resulting in more osteoarthritis, degenerative disease and joint replacement procedures. However, even as individuals are aging, they still want to have a good quality of life — leading to more MRIs to diagnose and treat various pains. In addition, there is a continued increase in sports activities among individuals of all ages, resulting in more sports injuries and a growing need for MRI images. Mr. Pedretti also attributed the continued growth in the use of MRIs to surgeons seeing greater precision in magnetic resonance imaging compared to X-rays. Use of MRIs for diagnosis "is growing because for some pathologies, the MRI modality is a better diagnostic response than a traditional X-ray due to the intrinsic ability of MRIs to see the soft tissue and to give more precise information to the surgeon," Mr. Pedretti said. Many MRI scans are shifting to physicians' offices due to the advantages of in-office scans Traditionally, MRIs have often been administered in hospitals. But, Mr. Pedretti noted, "Hospitals are not able to respond to all of the needs and requests [for MRIs]." For this reason, some surgeons are reluctant to direct patients to a hospital because of the long wait time to receive an MRI. This situation worsened during the pandemic. "Within the last year, there has been a wait list to get in for a non-emergency-type of MRI," Ms. Hughes said. In some instances, it might take two to three weeks for a patient to get even a routine MRI. While Mr. Gibbs expects conventional hospital-based MRIs to continue to be used for oncology and neurology scans, he expects many MRIs of the spine, joints and extremities like feet and hands to shift to an outpatient setting, particularly physicians' offices. Mr. Pedretti agreed, observing that more than 50 percent of the total market for MRIs today is for spine and extremities and "the market is moving from the traditional hospital setting to outpatient imaging centers." Among the advantages of this shift to outpatient settings, particularly physicians' offices, are: • Greater speed to diagnosis and treatment. Historically, a patient would have an appointment with a physician. If the physician determined an MRI was needed, the patient would have a separate appointment, often several days later. Then, it might take several more days to have the MRI reviewed, with a follow-up appointment to determine and initiate treatment. When an MRI is performed in a physician's office, the entire process is simple, fast and a "one-stop shop." The patient sees the doctor, has an MRI, which is quickly reviewed, and treatment can begin. "We're seeing a demand for patients to be diagnosed through imaging at a facility rather than having to transfer and go to an alternate location," Ms. Hughes said. "A patient can literally be assessed, scanned and into treatment within hours, rather than within days." Mr. Gibbs remarked that for patients, a one-stop shop in a surgeon's practice is a better overall experience, requiring fewer appointments and providing increased convenience. Patients also like the idea that "my surgeon gets to control my MRI," Ms. Hughes noted. For providers, performing the MRI in their office allows for faster workflow and throughput. • More customization. By having an MRI in their office, specialists can tailor the exact MRIs that are provided. "From the physician's perspective," Ms. Hughes explained, "they get to modify and specify the scans that are done on their patients for their sub-specialties; it's not just generalized imaging." For example, podiatrists can have specific protocols for the images they need for a foot A new generation of technology is improving MRIs "More than 50 percent of the total market for MRIs today is for spine and extremities — and the market is moving from the traditional hospital setting to outpatient imaging centers." Giacomo Pedretti, Global Customer Marketing Manager

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