Setting up a clinical cardiac MR imaging program: practical issues and economics.

Use of MR imaging to assess the heart has grown rapidly in recent years. MR imaging can assess cardiac anatomy, quantify ventricular and valvular function, identify regions of infarcted myocardium, and evaluate flow-limiting coronary artery stenoses better than any other single imaging modality. Despite its superior capabilities, cardiac MR imaging has yet to be adopted widely in clinical practice, in part because of the many obstacles to developing a clinical cardiac MR imaging program. The purpose of this article is to provide information that may be helpful in developing such a program. The information is based on the authors' experience in an inpatient hospital setting and an outpatient private practice. The recommendations reflect personal opinions and donot represent requirements of any organization or society unless otherwise indicated.