The short answer is that we should. The ugly truth, however, is that all too often we don't have the evidence needed to support evidence-based design. Nowhere is this more true than in MRI.

MRI utilization is growing at over 10% per year and the magnet strength is leaping upwards. The marketplace is so dynamic that even if we had the time to collect the data, it would be hopelessly outdated by the time we could actually apply it.

That doesn't mean that we give up and accept sub-par MRI facilities that compromise image quality, throughput and patient safety. It means that, without an available library of knowledge, we need to turn to the experts in the field... the individuals who have internalized the 'evidence' and keep abreast of the latest standards and developments.

The first of the feature articles on the right speaks directly to the issue of evidence-based design for MRI suites, what's possible and what is impractical.

The other two articles point out the hurdles in siting an MRI in a building not designed to support one, and vibration problems that can occur in both new and retrofit installations.

As always, we hope that you will contact us if you have any questions about anything you read in the newsletter, or if we can be of any assistance to you.

Robert Junk, AIA
Junk Architects, PC

Invite Your Friends & Colleagues.

How Much Does Your Architect Pay You?

If your architect isn't bringing value to your project by increasing throughput, enhancing your image quality, improving the life-cycle costs and enhancing life-safety issues, then you have the wrong architect.

If the only transaction is fees-for-drawings, then you are on the losing end of the deal. If, on the other hand, the MRI suite designs accomplish the above goals and the architects provide genuine service, then the increased throughput, extended life-cycle and reduced liability will pay dividends for the life of your facility.

These life-long benefits will more than reimburse any increased fees you may encounter from hiring genuine experts. And if this value proposition is too abstract, keep your eyes open for future testimonials about real dollars that Junk Architects saves its clients.

MRI Newsletter - Article Archive Is Now On Line!

We're pleased to announce that we have the archive of previous MRI Newsletter articles available. Click here to see all the articles that are available.

While the archive index is available to everyone, only subscribers will be able to access the full text of the articles.

Can You Afford To Wait
For An Evidence-Based Solution?
By Robert Junk, AIA and Tobias Gilk

One might be surprised to learn that in the Middle Ages, the great cathedrals of Europe were made lighter, taller and more majestic only through a long series of colossal failures. If the cathedral two towns over collapsed during construction, the mason learned that those columns were too thin, or that the buttresses weren't quite deep enough. Essentially, design was an enormous exercise in trial-and-error.

While today we're much better at designing buildings that don't fall down, when it comes to how our buildings support or hinder the use within, we're only just emerging from the dark ages. Anecdotally, there has never been a lack of opinions as to what makes a hospital better for patients or staff, but, for the longest time we had little more than opinions. Enter 'Evidence-based design'...

Click here to be taken to the full article.

Square Pegs & Round Holes:
Retrofitting An MRI Into An Existing Building
By Tobias Gilk

As challenging as it is to design a new building to support an MRI, it doesn't hold a candle to the complications experienced in siting a magnet in an existing building not designed for it.

As we've said many times in these pages, there are many technical, operational and safety issues that make MRI suites far more complicated than virtually any other piece of medical equipment. While this is true of a brand new building, designed specifically to address MRI concerns it is even harder to retrofit an MRI into an existing building...

Click here to be taken to the full article.

When Good Vibrations Go Bad:
A MRI Full Of Sound And Fury
By Tobias Gilk

As stories go, they won't make the six o'clock news or the local papers, but you can bet that they get passed around at conferences. They're part of the vast body of 'underground news' about MRI facility mishaps that everyone knows, but hardly anyone owns up to. I'm talking about the siting problems with MRI's and vibration.

MRI vibration problems are nothing new, for decades facilities have been suffering through unanticipated headaches, delays and cost overruns associated with noise and vibrational interference. As our magnet systems increase in strength and are presented in a greater array of designs (wide-bore, short-bore, stand-up, open, extremity, etc...), vibrational issues will continue to plague the uninformed, the poorly advised, and the just plain unlucky. So if the problems with vibration are so persistent and sensitivities are only increasing, why isn't more information available about mitigating the risks?

Click here to be taken to the full article.

Articles In The Works

• Hitting The Ceiling Over HIPAA-Required Walls
• D.I. In The O.R.: Intraoperative Imaging
• A Shocking Story Of Static Electric Damage
• Four Years After The Tragedy: The Wake Of An MRI Death.
• Double Down: Raising The Stakes Of MRI Safety

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Junk Architects, PC

802 Broadway - 5th Floor

Kansas City, MO 54105

816-472-7722