The Importance of Imaging’s Role in the Patient Experience

Jason Scott, FAHRA, CRA, CPXP, Chief Patient Experience Officer, Witham Health Services

Scanxiety is a relatively new term in medical imaging but one that plays a huge role in a patient’s experience. Scanxiety is anxiety and worry that accompanies a period of time before undergoing or receiving the results of a radiology examination. The time period of when the referring provider orders an imaging test to the time the results are given can be very worrisome for the patient, as the patient experiences a high level of uneasiness of what the results might indicate. It is up to us, as imaging professionals, to decrease the scanxiety level of our patients. There are many behaviors that technologists can display to help minimize the fears that are felt by our patients. It is important to be empathetic towards our patient’s needs in order for them to have a more positive experience. Many times it is the “little things” like smiling, providing a gentle touch or sitting with a patient that make the biggest impression upon our patients. However, it is up to leaders to portray a culture based upon delivering positive patient experiences.