Experts share MRI efficiency strategies that could raise revenue by upward of 60%
Radiology experts are sharing potential MRI efficiency strategies they say could increase revenues by upward of 60%.
Magnetic resonance imaging is an essential modality but also the most resource-intensive one in clinical radiology, researchers detail Aug. 3 in Clinical Imaging. Financial sustainability is becoming increasingly challenging for such service lines amid rising labor costs and maintenance expenses, workflow inefficiencies and constrained reimbursement.
To help peers navigate these concerns, experts conducted a review of current evidence on the economic, operational and technological factors that most impact MRI efficiency. They estimate that workflow redesigns have the potential to improve MRI throughput by 20%, while AI-based protocol optimization could boost efficiencies by another 35%.
“These projections are hypothetical, are not derived from integrated real-world data, and should be interpreted as conceptual estimates,” corresponding author Long H. Tu, MD, PhD, with the Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging at Yale, and colleagues wrote Monday. “Broader development and implementation of efficiency strategies may help support the financial sustainability of MRI capable practices, although real-world outcomes will vary depending on local operational context and implementation fidelity.”
The literature review spanned 2022 to 2026, using PubMed and other search engines to scan for terms such as MRI and deep-learning reconstruction. Tu and colleagues note that MRI systems are associated with significant capital and operational outlays, despite their critical role in medical imaging. Acquisition costs for scanners currently range from $1.8 million to $3 million for a 1.5 tesla system to $3 million to $4.5 million for 3T scanners. These figures represent purchasing costs only, with total investment substantially higher when factoring in site prep, shielding and building infrastructure.
Redesigning workflows is one critical way to boost efficiency, producing a 20% uptick in scanning throughput over baseline, the research review found. Targeted staff training could create an estimated 30% improvement, while scheduling fixes would add another 15%. Tu and co-authors also touted selective integration of AI tools, including MRI protocol optimization, to add another 35%. They emphasized these estimates are derived from studies of isolated interventions that likely would not produce linear changes at other institutions.
An exploratory model based on reported improvements from individual studies suggests that combining workflow optimization strategies could conservatively yield revenue gains of 40% to 60% per scanner. This would add up to about $780,000 per year, assuming a middle-range baseline of $1.56 million per year.
“Importantly, radiology leaders should not view efficiency solely as cost-cutting but as a strategic necessity to meet rising imaging demand, expand patient access, and secure long-term financial viability,” the authors cautioned. “When effectively integrated, these approaches may enable meaningful gains in throughput and resource utilization, with the potential to support reinvestment in personnel, technology, and broader health system priorities."
Read more, including examples of these changes, in the journal of Clinical Imaging.
Marty Stempniak has covered healthcare since 2012, with his byline appearing in the American Hospital Association's member magazine, Modern Healthcare and McKnight's. Prior to that, he wrote about village government and local business for his hometown newspaper in Oak Park, Illinois. He won a Peter Lisagor and Gold EXCEL awards in 2017 for his coverage of the opioid epidemic.