Philips and WCH Adelaide provide solutions to soothe children in the MRI suite

Adelaide, Australia – In order to create an environment where patients feel more at ease and more comfortable, Philips today announced the Australian-first installation of both its Ambient Experience solution and Ingenia Digital MRI system at the Women’s & Children’s Hospitalin Adelaide.

Children who undergo an MRI scan at thehospital will now be able to personalise their environment and take control over what can be an intimidating clinical process, leading to a better experience for families and better clinical outcomes.

Ambient Experience integrates technologies such as lighting, sound and projection, together with architecture and design, to create an engaging environment that is more efficient for hospital staff, in addition to being less stressful for patients. Using a touchscreen tablet to set the room theme, soothing lights, visuals and sound immediately fill the room to soothe patients undergoing MRI examinations, which can be especially stressful for children.

Dr. Rebecca Linke, Unit Head Paediatric Imaging at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital in Adelaide believes the Ambient Experience installation will provide significant improvements in patient care.

“It is going to transform the new MRI suite into a more comfortable, less intimidating place by providing a positive distraction for young patients, as well as a more efficient workplace for hospital staff,” said Dr. Linke. "The MRI process can be very scary for children andthe ambient systemwill help entertain and relax the patients. The goal is to reduce their anxiety so we can perform the examination quickly and easily."

The Philips Ambient Experience has been proven at over 266 sites worldwide to reduce anxiety and the need for sedation. One study reported a 16 per cent decrease in sedation rates for the overall pediatric population aged 0-18 years, with a 28 per cent reduction amongst 0-4 year olds.This results in an increase in throughput and cost savings for the hospital, as without sedation, scans can be completed within 30 minutes as opposed to around 4 hours with sedation[1].

Commenting on the installation, Harry Van Dyk, Country Manager Philips Australia and New Zealand said, “Ambient Experience goes beyond lights and sounds. It’s an overall patient-focused design strategy. It has been installed globally in a range of clinical environments, and our design consultants have taken special care to address the needs of the clinical staff at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital. Coupled with the introduction of the first Ingenia Digital MRI, it will be the most advanced suite of its kind in the country.”

Philips Ingenia: The First Digital Broadband MR

In addition, the Women’s & Children’s Hospital is also the first site in Australia to use the Philips Ingenia 1.5T state-of-the-art digital MRI system, which is set to revolutionise the patient experience and improve efficiencies for clinical staff. The world’s first digital MRI system not only provides clearer pictures but a more comfortable patient experience with lighter and less obtrusive coils.

The system represents, for the first time in MRI, the move from analog to digital signal acquisition and processing needed to generate better patient images. Being able to maintain the digital connection throughout the entire MRI scanning process means Ingenia is able to generate up to a 40 percent improvement in signal-to-noise ratio which, results in a clearer picture and improves diagnostic confidence.

Ingenia is also the first to incorporate an integrated, hidden posterior coil into the bed, enabling full body coverage and eliminating the need for multiple connecting coils, which makes the patient experience more comfortable. Overall, the system allows clinicians to get the job done quickly with a 30 percent increase in throughput and cost savings for hospitals.

The innovations have been funded in part by the Little Heroes Foundation in Adelaide to assist children in coping with difficult hospital environments. The new site at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital will assist thousands of young children in South Australia, as well as catering to children in Victoria and the Northern Territory.

For more information on the Philips Ambient Experience and Ingenia Digital MRI, please visit www.philips.com.au/healthcare