Kit designed in collaboration with Weill Cornell Imaging at NewYork-Presbyterian and Marvel Custom Solutions to ease anxiety of pediatric patients undergoing an MRI exam
If Marvel's Captain America can lay still during a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) exam, so can kids. That's the message of a special comic book designed to ease children's fears before they undergo a scan, which requires them to lay still in a narrow, loud machine in order for it to produce clear images. The new Marvel Custom Solutions comic book is included in an "MRI Heroes Kit" developed by Siemens Healthcare and Marvel Custom Solutions in collaboration with Weill Cornell Imaging at NewYork-Presbyterian and Weill Cornell Medical College. The kit is designed to empower young patients by educating them about the procedure in a gentle and compelling way.
The new Marvel Custom Solutions comic book is included in an "MRI Heroes Kit."
MRIs are capable of delivering high-quality scans of nearly every region in the body without utilizing potentially harmful ionizing radiation. But for all their benefits, MRI scans can create anxiety for children. The loud, clanging noise of the machines and the long duration of the scan can rattle patients (especially children) to the point where they require sedation. In rare circumstances, sedation can cause medical complications for patients, including allergic and adverse reactions. With a better understanding of the MRI procedure, children hopefully will be more likely to remain still for the lengthy imaging procedure.
The MRI Heroes Kit — which includes 100 copies of the educational comic book, 100 hero-themed capes, 100 Captain America and Iron Man plush toys, an educational DVD and a mini-model1 of a Siemens MRI scanner — is designed to help diffuse pediatric patients’ anxiety. In the comic book, Captain America’s nagging shoulder pain following a heated battle prompts Iron Man to urge his reluctant partner to obtain an MRI scan. The educational video walks patients through the process of an MRI exam by sharing the experiences of a fictional 10-year-old girl who recently received a scan. Children can play with the mini-model of a Siemens MRI scanner in the waiting room and read the comic book. The plush toy, which patients can hold during the exam, brings the comic book to life. And after the scan, patients can be awarded a hero cape as a reward for their valor. Weill Cornell Imaging at NewYork-Presbyterian will be the first facility to use the kit, which will be made available to Siemens customers who purchase its MRI systems.
"Siemens is excited to collaborate with Weill Cornell Imaging at NewYork-Presbyterian in the creation of the MRI Heroes Kit, which addresses the long-recognized problems associated with young patients who have trouble handling the sometimes unsettling aspects of an MRI examination," said Sarah Moore, vice president of the magnetic resonance business unit at Siemens Healthcare.
"MRI remains one of the most powerful imaging tools we as clinicians have, but it can be particularly challenging to perform scans on children, who can be scared and have deep anxiety about the procedure," said Dr. Robert J. Min, chairman of Radiology at Weill Cornell Medical College, radiologist-in-chief at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, and president of Weill Cornell Imaging at NewYork-Presbyterian. "The MRI Heroes Kit provides children and their parents with the tools and information they need to be more comfortable with an MRI exam. By helping them understand what an MRI is, I am convinced we can make a difference."
"It is vital that we provide compassionate and gentle care to children, and the MRI Heroes Kit will enable us to do just that," said Dr. Gerald M. Loughlin, the Nancy C. Paduano Professor and chairman of the Department of Pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medical College and pediatrician-in-chief at the Phyllis and David Komansky Center for Children’s Health at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell. "This child-friendly kit empowers our littlest patients to learn about MRIs in a compelling way, easing their anxiety so that clinicians can get the highest-quality scans."
1Works in Progress. The product is under development and is not commercially available.
MR scanning has not been established as safe for imaging fetuses and infants under two years of age. The responsible physician must evaluate the benefit of the MRI examination in comparison to other imaging procedures.
About Siemens AG
Siemens AG (Berlin and Munich) is a global technology powerhouse that has stood for engineering excellence, innovation, quality, reliability and internationality for more than 165 years. The company is active in more than 200 countries, focusing on the areas of electrification, automation and digitalization. One of the world’s largest producers of energy-efficient, resource-saving technologies, Siemens is No. 1 in offshore wind turbine construction, a leading supplier of combined cycle turbines for power generation, a leading provider of power transmission solutions and a pioneer in infrastructure solutions and automation and software solutions for industry. The company is also a leading supplier of medical imaging equipment – such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging systems – and a leader in laboratory diagnostics as well as clinical IT. In fiscal 2013, which ended on September 30, 2013, revenue from continuing operations totaled €75.9 billion and income from continuing operations €4.2 billion. At the end of September 2013, Siemens had around 362,000 employees worldwide on the basis of continuing operations. Further information is available on the Internet at www.siemens.com.
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About Marvel Custom Solutions
Custom Solutions is Marvel's in-house creative agency that leverages all the greatest talent within Marvel Entertainment to create highly dynamic and compelling content and campaigns for global brands. Marvel Custom Solutions has the ability to deploy the work it creates through its robust print, digital, social and theatrical platforms, adding scale to the programs it creates.
About Marvel Entertainment
Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world's most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of more than 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media over seventy years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing and publishing. For more information visit marvel.com. © 2014 MARVEL
Weill Cornell Medical College
Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University's medical school located in New York City, is committed to excellence in research, teaching, patient care and the advancement of the art and science of medicine, locally, nationally and globally. Physicians and scientists of Weill Cornell Medical College are engaged in cutting-edge research from bench to bedside aimed at unlocking mysteries of the human body in health and sickness and toward developing new treatments and prevention strategies. In its commitment to global health and education, Weill Cornell has a strong presence in places such as Qatar, Tanzania, Haiti, Brazil, Austria and Turkey. Through the historic Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, Cornell University is the first in the U.S. to offer a M.D. degree overseas. Weill Cornell is the birthplace of many medical advances — including the development of the Pap test for cervical cancer, the synthesis of penicillin, the first successful embryo-biopsy pregnancy and birth in the U.S., the first clinical trial of gene therapy for Parkinson’s disease, and most recently, the world’s first successful use of deep brain stimulation to treat a minimally conscious brain-injured patient. Weill Cornell Medical College is affiliated with NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, where its faculty provides comprehensive patient care at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. The Medical College is also affiliated with Houston Methodist. For more information, visit weill.cornell.edu.
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, based in New York City, is one of the nation’s largest and most comprehensive hospitals and a leading provider of inpatient, ambulatory and preventive care in all areas of medicine. With some 2,600 beds and more that 6,500 affiliated physicians and 20,000 employees, NewYork-Presbyterian had more than 2 million visits in 2013, including close to 15,000 infant deliveries and more than 310,000 emergency department visits. NewYork-Presbyterian comprises six campuses: NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center, NewYork-Presbyterian/Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital, NewYork-Presbyterian/The Allen Hospital, NewYork-Presbyterian/Westchester Division and NewYork-Presbyterian/Lower Manhattan Hospital. The hospital is also closely affiliated with NewYork-Presbyterian/Lawrence Hospital in Bronxville. NewYork-Presbyterian is the #1 hospital in the New York metropolitan area, according to U.S. News & World Report, and consistently named to the magazine’s Honor Roll of best hospitals in the nation. Affiliated with two world-renowned medical schools, Weill Cornell Medical College and Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, NewYork-Presbyterian is committed to excellence in patient care, research, education and community service. For more information, visit www.nyp.org.