Improving Access to MRI through Central Intake

Referring physicians please take our quick survey regarding the MRI appropriateness checklist

The Lower Mainland Medical Imaging (LMMI) project to centralize intake for outpatient MRI referrals across Vancouver Coastal Health, Providence Health Care and Fraser Health will be going live on Oct 29, 2018.

What is MRI central intake?

MRI central intake will provide referring clinicians with a central office to direct outpatient MRI referrals for 11 MRI sites across the lower mainland. This process will enable patients to be booked at the most appropriate lower mainland MRI site with the shortest wait time. Referring clinicians will be able to indicate a preferred MRI site on the requisition if desired. For urgent outpatient MRI referrals that require imaging in less than 72 hrs, please contact the relevant site's medical imaging department directly.

An updated regional MRI requisition form has been developed to coincide with central intake. An additional field on the requisition allows the referring clinician to state a preferred MRI site.

MRI Central intake will also feature a quality improvement initiative by providing decision support for referring clinicians for lumbar spine, knee and hip MRI referrals. Appropriateness checklists for these exams have been developed as well as information forms for both physicians and patients.

The new requisition, appropriate checklists and information forms can be found at the bottom of this page.

What are the benefits of central intake?

Central intake for MRI supports the objectives of the provincial MRI strategy to provide timely and equitable access to MRI. Benefits of central intake include reducing and smoothing MRI wait lists and reducing the number of duplicate referrals and missed appointments. Central intake will provide referring clinicians access to 11 MRI facilities through a single referral process.

Why are we moving to central intake?

MRI exams performed in lower mainland health authorities are currently booked through a decentralized model where referrals are sent to individual hospital sites. Each site manages its own MRI wait list and booking processes. MRI wait times vary considerably between lower mainland MRI facilities. There is limited ability within the current model to offer patients an earlier appointment at an alternate location. Decentralized intake and lack of visibility into MRI wait times has also led to duplicate referrals and missed appointments with some patients booked at multiple sites across the region.

What will be the impact on referring clinicians?

Central intake will provide referring clinicians with a central fax number to direct outpatient MRI referrals for 11 MRI sites across the lower mainland.
An updated regional MRI requisition will be introduced as part of the project. LMMI has been working with EMR vendors to support ease of use of the new requisition form. At launch on Oct 29th we have the majority of EMR vendors online and ready to go. A couple of remaining EMR vendors will update soon after launch.
For lumbar spine, hip and knee referrals an appropriateness checklist will be required to be submitted with the requisition.
Central intake will enable patients to be booked at the most appropriate lower mainland MRI site with the shortest wait time.
Referring clinicians will be able to indicate a preferred MRI site on the requisition if desired.