Money well spent: Hospitals are investing in a $20,000 kids’ toy
At hospitals across the globe, a new device is helping child patients prepare for the experience of undergoing an MRI scan.
Hospitals around the world are installing a newly-developed device aimed at making magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans less of a daunting, frightening prospect for children.
How does the kids’ MRI device work?
Dubbed the ‘kitten scanner’, the device is a miniature MRI machine that carries out pretend scans on toy animals. As the scan takes place, kids who are preparing for an MRI are shown how the machine works and what to expect from the experience.
Among the healthcare facilities that have installed the ‘kitten scanner’ is the St. Vincent Children’s Hospital in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
In an interview with WBAT TV-2 this month, St. Vincent Hospital’s Ashley Thompson said: “The goal behind the ‘kitten scanner’ is for kids to be able to get down on their level and understand some of the imaging that might happen to them, practicing it on a stuffed animal.
“Today, we had a sweet little girl that came in, her name is Gracie, and she’s practicing her MRI on our ‘kitten scanner’.”
Asked how her session with the ‘kitten scanner’ had helped her, Gracie told WBAY TV-2: “I learned that everybody can be afraid, but you have to stay still.”
What is an MRI and why can it be daunting?
Used to take detailed images of the inside of the human body, MRI scanners harness magnet and radio waves to scan physical components such as organs, bones, muscles and blood vessels, explains Johns Hopkins Medicine.
Receiving an MRI scan can be a claustrophobic experience, as it typically takes place within an enclosed, tube-like structure. Adding to the potential discomfort of having an MRI, the scanners can be very noisy.
As it is important to remain very still throughout an MRI examination, patients adversely affected by the conditions of the procedure may need to be sedated.
British hospital saves big thanks to toy scanner
In the U.K., administrators at a hospital in the Lincolnshire region say the installation of a ‘kitten scanner’ has led to six-figure savings, amply offsetting the £15,000 ($20,000) cost of the machine.
Speaking to the BBC, Sandy Crook of the Lincolnshire Community and Hospitals NHS group said the device has allowed Grantham District Hospital to spend around £150,000 ($200,000) less on patient sedation and care.
“I know from speaking to many parents they are thankful for the Kitten Scanner and that their little ones don’t need to go through sedation," Crook said.
Other hospitals that have embraced the ‘kitten scanner’ include Logan Hospital in Queensland, Australia:
@qldhealth Join little Georgie as she tries out Logan Hospital's new Kitten Scanner. 💖 It’s a fun way to help kids get ready for an MRI—pick a toy, pop it in the scanner and watch a video that shows what to expect! 🎥🔊 After they've watched the video, it's time for the real thing! 🤩 Thanks for letting us join you on your MRI journey, Georgie. You were so brave. 🥰 #KittenScanner #MRI
♬ original sound - Queensland Health
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