Healthcare professionals use MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) exams to detect a wide range of conditions –including all types of cancers and sports-related injuries. A conventional MRI machine is a tube-shaped magnet that uses a magnetic field and computer-generated radio waves to create a cross-sectional image of your body's organs.

While the scan is painless, the closed space of narrow MRI machines can be a challenge for some patients –especially larger patients and those who suffer from claustrophobia. This is why hospitals need to have proper medical equipment like wide-bore MRI machines for robust evaluation and diagnosis.

In this post, we will tell you why hospitals need wide-bore MRI machines to develop a body-positive culture and cater to patients of all sizes.

Wide Bore MRI Machines

Wide-bore MRI machines are different from conventional MRI machines in many ways. For starters, its sides are open and you can see all the way around. The table height is also usually lower, hence it is easier to get on the MRI table without using a step stool.

In simple words, wide-bore MRI machines are designed for plus-sized people with broad shoulders or for people who can't survive 60 long minutes in a narrow humming tunnel.

Here are four reasons why it is essential for hospitals, healthcare providers, and medical clinics to have a wide-bore MRI machine:

1.      Broadened Patient Demographic

One thing is evident: the use of wide-bore MRI systems has broadened the demographic of patients who can be tested. This is why the system has gained widespread adoption, with many healthcare providers opting to equip their offices solely with wide-bore MRI systems.

This is because it serves more patients and solves a pressing problem. With the help of wide-bore MRI machines, hospitals can provide inclusive services without differentiating patients based on their weight.

2.      Increased Comfort

If you have ever gotten an MRI scan done, you know how uncomfortable it is to lie down in an enclosed narrow tube for what seems like an eternity. Wide-bore MRI systems provide added comfort for patients with open sides and more headspace.

One of the major reasons why so many hospitals have replaced conventional MRI machines with wide-bore MRI systems is because it allows people who cannot fit in a traditional scan machine –for instance, obese patients and people with wider shoulders –to get their MRI tests done.

3.      Improved Quality

Another reason why wide-bore MRI magnet is the best choice is because it delivers better quality imaging than open-bore MRI magnets. So if a patient has to get an MRI scan and is open to both options, a wide-bore machine would produce clearer results.

4.      Patient Tolerance

Last but not least, this technology increases patient tolerance and encourages them to get their tests done. Before wide-bore MRI machines, countless obese patients simply didn't get their MRI scans. Most often, it was not because they weren't able to, but because they were not willing to go through this ordeal of finding out whether they would 'fit' in the machine or not.

To provide size-inclusive services and treat patients equally, it is very important for hospitals to rely on wide bore MRI systems. Since it also produces high-quality results, wide-bore MRI machines will also allow medical teams to make quicker more accurate diagnoses!