MRI referrals determined by loyalty to unit rather than patient choice

Consultants and their secretaries have referred to the same MRI unit for over 13 years on average, a new study has revealed.

Referrers were found to have a strong sense of loyalty to external medical units, with almost eight per cent saying that they had used the same MRI provider for over 25 years. Clinicians, who identified location, staff expertise and scanner quality as key reasons for initially referring patients, said they were difficult to influence thereafter.

External medical units’ corporate literature and postal updates were identified as ineffective ways to persuade referrers to try another service, and nine out of ten said that they had never visited an MRI centre’s website.

The findings come as part of a pioneering piece of research conducted by the Queen Square Imaging Centre in London. In the first study of its type, orthopaedic surgeons, neurosurgeons and medical secretaries were asked about how and why they refer patients to external medical units.

Patients had a say in where they were referred in just 50 per cent of MRI referral decisions, when they chose a unit that suited their location, technical specifications or personal needs. Medical secretaries held sway over 38 per cent of referrals, with less than seven per cent taking a lead role in the procedure. In all of these cases, the secretary in question had over 11 years experience, suggesting that seniority has a notable effect on internal decision making power.

Speaking about the findings, Director of Queen Square Imaging Centre, Jodee Cooper, said: ‘As the longest standing MRI scanning centre in London, we are proud of the fact that we have been able to build up long-term partnerships with so many clinicians.

‘It is incredibly important for units like ours to impress new referrers with quality scanning, reporting and staff expertise in order to establish relationships that last.'

Consultant orthopaedic and sports phyisician Dr Keith Bush, who has referred to two of his London MRI providers for over 26 years commented: ‘I am very happy with the centres I currently refer to, so a scanning unit would have to offer something unique in order for me to change my referral process.

‘Having said this, if clinicians rely entirely on routine then they risk missing out on improved technology or expert staff elsewhere.’

About Queen Square Imaging Centre

Queen Square Imaging Centre (www.qsic-mri.com) has offered a unique personal and professional MRI service for over 25 years. Located opposite the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, the centre is world renowned for its expertise in both fields and all reporting Neuroradiologists also work at the National.