Lego MRI set reduces pediatric sedation rates by nearly 50%
Lego creations are helping pediatric organizations reduce their reliance on sedation prior to completing MRI scans on children.
Released in 2023, Lego's MRI playset was designed to help children get a better idea of what to expect before undergoing imaging. The set features a scanner, patient bed, waiting room, scanning room, staff mini-figures and medical accessories. By presenting the play set to children prior to their exam, staff members can help ease children’s anxiety, which often translates into a much smoother imaging process.
Lego Group has donated more than 10,000 of the MRI sets since its rollout, and it has been used by over 1 million children throughout the world since then. According to new data from Lego, 94% of providers who have deployed the set have noted a significant reduction in patient anxiety. In turn, this has led to a 46% decrease in the need for sedation prior to imaging—saving time and money while also improving patient care.
“Usually, when we walk in with the Lego MRI scanner set, the faces on the kids light up,” said Traci Aoki-Tan, certified child life specialist at Kaiser Permanente Roseville Medical Center in California. “The entire mood in the room gets brighter as soon as we walk in. Even anxious parents—you can see their shoulders drop," she added.
“Our MRI scanner set shows how a simple act of play can have a big impact. We know scans can be unfamiliar and even scary for children. By giving children the opportunity to explore, ask questions, and play their way through a medical procedure, we’re helping them feel safer and more in control,” said Lego Foundation Vice President and Head of Social Responsibility Diana Ringe Krogh.
The sets cannot be purchased. Instead, they are donated to hospitals through Lego Group partners across the globe, including Fairy Bricks, Starlight Children's Foundation and United Way.
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In addition to her background in journalism, Hannah also has patient-facing experience in clinical settings, having spent more than 12 years working as a registered rad tech. She began covering the medical imaging industry for Innovate Healthcare in 2021.