How MRI Cinema Can Improve Patient Comfort and Scan Success

For some people, an MRI scan can feel stressful or overwhelming, even for those who don’t consider themselves as claustrophobic. At MBR Health on the Gold Coast, we recognise that patient comfort is an important part of achieving a successful examination, while also supporting high-quality diagnostic MRI imaging.

However, not all providers offer the same patient experience. At MBR Health, our clinic facilities and services have been designed around the patient experience, recognising it as a fundamental part of the imaging pipeline towards diagnostic confidence. Our co-founding radiologist Dr Zane Sherif has invested in a patient-friendly audiovisual MRI Cinema experience designed to make MRI examinations calmer, more comfortable and less confined.

In this MBR Health Insight, we explore the growing research into the benefits of audiovisual MRI systems, including reducing scan anxiety, claustrophobia, improve scan completion and diagnostic image quality.

What is an audiovisual MRI system?

Audiovisual MRI technology uses visual and audio experiences to provide a positive distraction and create a less clinical environment. Although the audiovisual experience can differ between clinics, they often include the ability to listen to music, ambient colour-changing lights, visual progress bar of the scan, and in some clinics, the ability to watch movies and TV shows.

For individuals who have anxiety about their imaging or experience feelings of claustrophobia, this can make a significant difference in how the examination feels, and willingness to undergo MRI scans in the future. At MBR Health, we offer an advanced type of audiovisual MRI experience commonly called an “MRI cinema”.

How does an MRI Cinema work?

An MRI cinema uses specialised mirrored-glasses and headphones. These glasses direct the individual’s vision down the tunnel, rather than up at the top of the MRI tunnel. This enables the patient to watch video content projected on the back wall of the MRI room during the scan. Additionally, the specialised MRI compatible headphones relay music or audio from video playback. (See the image below, which is a illustrative example of the patient point of view during the MRI scan at MBR Health.)

While simple in concept, MRI safety considerations make conventional equipment unsuitable. For example, the traditional headphones may contain metallic wire and other parts making them incompatible with the high-magnetic field of MRI. In addition, this set up also requires specialised MRI-compatible audio system and projector equipment to safely display movies and TV shows.

A different perspective from inside the MRI. The specialised mirror glasses redirect the patient’s view beyond the MRI tunnel towards the audiovisual display, helping create a greater sense of visual space during the scan. Because cameras are not MRI room compatible, this image was AI-generated to represent the in-bore patient visual experience at MBR Health.

Why are patient-friendly audiovisual MRI systems important part of your care?

A patient-friendly MRI audiovisual system, such as an MRI Cinema, has been shown in the current literature to help:

Reduce health or scan-related anxiety during the MRI.
Improve completion rates for individuals who experience claustrophobia without sedation.
Potentially reduce the incidence of MRI contrast reactions
Improve image quality by reducing patient-motion during the scan.

MBR Health’s 3T MRI

1. Can MRI cinema, or other audiovisual MRI help with anxiety?

Recent studies have found that MRI scans with patient-friendly audiovisual systems alleviated high-state of anxiety in between 63 – 81% of participants on completion of the scan, compared to approximately 43% in the standard MRI without audiovisual systems.

For individuals who have health anxiety, or worries about the scan itself, may find MRI providers equipped with in-scan MRI cinema an important factor to considering when choosing their radiology provider.

2. Can Patient-friendly audiovisual MRI systems help individuals with claustrophobia?

Claustrophobia, or the fear of enclosed spaces, affects about 12.5% of the general population and is more common in women. Feelings of claustrophobia make MRI scans naturally difficult for these individuals, making a positive MRI experience even more valuable.

A recent study investigated the effect of these audiovisual systems in claustrophobic patients that had previously been unable to complete an MRI exam on traditional systems that subsequently required sedation. When offered MRI cinema-type experience, 93% (28/30 participants) were able to successfully complete the exam without sedation. The authors of the study also found that in MRI scanners equipped with patient-friendly audiovisual technology, also had a statistically significant lower claustrophobia-discontinuation rate compared to the scanners without.

While individual circumstances vary, the addition of an audiovisual patient experience may improve access to imaging for individuals who experience claustrophobia, ultimately, facilitating faster time to treatment.

3. Can patient-friendly audiovisual systems reduce contrast reactions?

The positive clinical impact of audiovisual systems, such an MRI cinema. A recent and interesting correlation has been found between MRI contrast reactions and patient-friendly audiovisual systems. The authors of this 2024 observational study found a reduced incidence of contrast reactions in the AV participant group (0.7%), compared to the without (1.6%). Although these findings require further evaluation in controlled randomised trials, these findings may suggest that positive mental distractions to alleviate stress during an MRI may help to lower the risk of contrast reactions.

4. Can audiovisual MRI systems improve image quality?

During MRI scans, remaining still is important to reduce the presence of blurring (also called “motion artefact”). Feeling anxious during a scan can make it difficult to remain still, and as a result can potentially affect image quality, and in some circumstances, requiring imaging to be repeated.

Research supports the connection between the patient experience and imaging outcomes. A 2025 randomised controlled trial in children found an audiovisual intervention was associated with both significantly lower anxiety and significantly higher MRI image-quality scores (Ref).

Patient MRI experience matters

At MBR Health on the Gold Coast, our 3T MRI Cinema reflects our belief that patient experience is a fundamental part of the imaging pipeline towards diagnostic confidence. For patients, particularly those who experience MRI anxiety or claustrophobia, or who have previously found MRI difficult, the patient experience is worth considering when choosing an MRI provider.

If you would like to learn more about our 3T MRI on the Gold Coast, visit our dedicated Specialist Diagnostics 3T MRI webpage. Alternatively Contact Us to speak to our reception team.

Questions or Ready to Book?

Book your MRI at MBR Health on the Gold Coast by visiting our For Patients page. Simply upload your referral and our team will contact you to arrange your appointment.

Frequently Asked Questions

See our most commonly asked questions regarding our MRI patient experience. For more Frequently Asked Questions, visit our FAQ page.

Can I watch a Movie During my MRI at MBR Health?

Yes. MRI Cinema is available at MBR Health for scans which require head first into the scanner while lying on your back. This is often the case for:

Please contact our MBR Health reception team to learn more about MRI Cinema availability for your referred scan.

Can children use MRI Cinema at MBR Health?

Yes. Depending on the type of examination, children can use the MRI Cinema at MBR Health to watch audiovisual content (e.g. Bluey) during their scan. This positive distraction may help make the MRI environment feel less unfamiliar and encourage children to remain still while images are acquired. MBR Health has an excellent completion rate in young children, supported in part by our patient-friendly audiovisual set up and approach to paediatric imaging.

Can an MRI Cinema help with claustrophobia?

Research suggests audiovisual MRI systems may help people who experience claustrophobia. In one study, 28 of 30 patients who had previously required sedation for MRI were able to complete their examination without sedation using an ambient audiovisual MRI system (e.g. progress bar, colour changing lighting). Our clinic-experience at MBR Health mirrors this research. If you suffer from feelings of claustrophobia, please let our team know at the time of booking so we can help you feel more comfortable on the day.

Author: A Forbes, PhD.