There are a over five million people with pacemakers and defibrillators worldwide, and the majority are likely to need an MRI scan in their lifetime. Patients with cardiac devices are fifty times less like to be referred for MRI scans, and in the UK, about half of MRI departments do not provide these scans. This means patients have more invasive tests, delayed diagnosis and miss out on the best treatments for cancer and strokes.
MRI departments report four main barriers to providing this service:
Referrers and patients report difficulties finding services and making decisions to refer for MRI even if it is the most appropriate diagnostic test.
Solving the health inequality means working at multiple levels to make a digital solution relevant in the real-world. We founded a national campaign, supported by professional societies, patient charities, life science charities, and NHS hospitals. We have spent years working with commissioners, policy makers, patients, referrers and clinicians.
Work we are involved in:
For clinicians: education, courses, international conferences, service and funding models.
For patients: education, awareness, help locating services- often urgently- to get cancer and stroke diagnoses, working with patient bodies to provide clearer documentation at implantation and follow up.
For health services: health inequality and health economic data to inform policy.
You can find more details at The MRI My Pacemaker Campaign.