In a groundbreaking collaboration, The Walt Disney Company and Royal Philips have announced the integration of beloved Disney animated characters and stories into Philips Ambient Experience for MRI systems. This initiative aims to support children undergoing imaging procedures by creating a more comforting and engaging environment, helping to reduce anxiety and improve scan success rates.
Bringing Disney Magic to Medical Imaging
For the first time, Disney-themed content will be available in MRI facilities across 87 countries worldwide. The immersive environment is designed to shift a child's attention away from the clinical setting, making the experience less intimidating. By incorporating familiar characters and stories, children may feel more at ease and remain still during scans, which is crucial for obtaining high-quality images.
"By bringing Disney stories into the MRI environment, we are helping create a setting where children can feel more at ease and remain still during scans," said Atul Gupta, MD, Chief Medical Officer for Diagnosis and Treatment at Philips. "Reducing stress can improve the experience for young patients and their families, while helping care teams deliver efficient, high-quality imaging so they can care for more children each day."
Addressing Pediatric Anxiety
MRI scans can be particularly challenging for young children. The combination of entering a large, unfamiliar machine that makes loud noises and the need to lie perfectly still for up to 40 minutes can be intimidating. Studies show that 66% of pediatric patients report feeling anxious during MRI scans. This anxiety can lead to re-scans, longer procedures, or even the need for sedation, increasing demands on care teams and potentially causing delays.
Child-friendly, immersive content has been shown to reduce these disruptions. A multi-center study across six hospitals in Europe found that for children aged 6 to 10, post-scan stress levels were reduced by 43% compared to pre-exam levels. Additionally, pauses during scans dropped by 63% compared to procedures without such intervention.
"The data showed that a child-friendly audio-visual intervention reduced stress levels in young children and decreased scan disruptions, supporting a smoother MRI workflow," said Emilio J. Inarejos Clemente from the Department of Diagnostic Imaging at Sant Joan de Deu Hospital in Barcelona, Spain. "This can help clinicians maintain efficiency and focus on delivering high-quality diagnostic imaging, helping more patients to be seen without compromising care."
A Shared Mission of Comfort
"At Disney, we believe stories have the power to bring comfort and emotional connection to children and families," said Lisa Haines, Senior Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility at The Walt Disney Company. "We're proud to collaborate with Philips to extend that impact into MRI rooms in a meaningful way – using our beloved stories and characters to help provide moments of escape, normalcy, and reassurance during what can be an intimidating experience for kids in hospitals."
Philips Ambient Experience uses calming lighting, sound, and visual elements to help patients relax before and during exams. The integration of Disney-themed content builds on Philips' focus on improving care experiences, particularly for children undergoing imaging. This partnership aims to make MRI exams faster, more comfortable, and easier for patients, ultimately supporting better care for more people.
