A comparison of the psychological burden of PET/MRI and PET/CT scans and association to initial state anxiety and previous imaging experiences

Objective: To investigate the level of psychological burden experienced by patients undergoing positron emission tomography (PET)/MRI scanning compared with PET/CT. Methods: 100 adult patients referred for PET/CT and underwent PET/MRI scanning were eligible. Initial state, psychological burden of PET/CT and PET/MRI, scan satisfaction and preference were assessed using a purpose-designed questionnaire, comprising 61 five-point Likert scale questions and a three-point tick box question indicating preference between PET/CT and PET/MRI. State anxiety was assessed using the state portion of the State Trait Anxiety Inventory. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests compared psychological burden experienced by participants following PET/CT and PET/MRI scan. Results: A greater level of psychological burden was experienced by patients during PET/MRI than PET/CT p <= 0.001, consistent with patients' preference for PET/CT over PET/MRI (p = 0.013). There was a significant relationship between PET/CT psychological burden and initial state (r = 0.386, p <= 0.001). No significant relationship was identified between Initial state and psychological burden of PET MRI (r = 20.089; p = 217). There was a significant relationship between psychological burden of PET/CT and PET/MRI (r = 0.354; p = 0.001). Conclusion: Patients' experience increased psychological burden during PET/MRI compared with PET/CT. Previous scanning experiences and patients' interactions prior to and during PET/MRI improved patient satisfaction. Interventions could be implemented to improve imaging outcome. Advances in knowledge: This study provides evidence for the increased psychological burden of PET/MRI compared with PET/CT, and that people prefer the PET/CT procedure. We have shown that the patients who expressed a preference for PET/MRI demonstrated significantly lower psychological burden for that procedure than those that preferred PET/CT, which indicates that the benefit of reduced psychological burden could be facilitated by an appropriate intervention.