Scheduling the MRI at INST
The purpose of this policy is to provide guidelines for scheduling the MRI at INST.
Scope:
This policy applies to all researchers, employees, contractors, consultants, temporaries, and other workers including all personnel affiliated with third parties utilizing INST's resources.
Policy:
There are three types of activities the MRI can be scheduled for: after hours time not involving human or animal subjects when the MRI is not being run, research time with human subjects or animals, and protocol development time that is used to develop a protocol for human subjects research.
The existing safety training and screening policy is required for all of these types of access.
Accessing the MRI area after hours without an MR technologist is detailed in the after hours access policy.
To schedule the magnet for research requires IRB approval and a Research Project Application form. Research Project Application should be submitted at least seven business days before development of protocol and scanning of subjects would start.
Once all paperwork has been submitted to Business Manager, and an application is approved, then the project number is linked to the PI's account along with the expiration date of the project and the number of hours of scan time that has been requested. Funds for this scan time will also have been verified. An appointment is then made with MR technician to establish scanning protocol. This protocol will include the number, type, and order of scans. All associated MR parameters should be established at this time. One hour of unbilled scan time can be used in establishing this protocol. If this protocol is similar to one that has been run before, then changes to parameters (if any) could be emailed to MR technician. INST will establish a standard fMRI protocol including anatomical and EPI scans along with reasonable parameters. This could be used as an off-the-shelf protocol. The researcher would then only have to specify the number of EPI runs and how many volumes would be collected in each run. MR technician will acknowledge that a protocol for the project has been established. The researcher will then be able to start scheduling scans. The calendar system can be used for scheduling this one hour protocol development time. If additional unbilled protocol development time is needed, a written request explaining the need should be submitted to the director for approval.
Once protocol development has been completed, then research time can be scheduled. The amount of time that can be scheduled is linked to the number of hours requested on the project approval form.
Researcher logs in to calendar system. Available times will be shown. Researcher can book available times. When filling out online form for time, the only information needed is that the project and the type of time (i.e., research) is selected from a drop box. Only times >24 hours and <60 days from current time can be booked. Time will immediately be scheduled and show up on the calendar as that researcher's scheduled time. The researcher will not be able to schedule more time for a project than has been approved. If the number of hours left on the project is zero or the IRB expiration date has passed, then the researcher will not be able to schedule more research time until a new Research Project Application has been approved.
Once the researcher has a participant for the scan time, then the calendar system can be used to fill in the person's name, subject number, and an indication that some form of screening has been conducted. This screening could involve verbally running through the screening form with the participant or could be the actual completed screening form. The completed screening form will be required before the scan begins. Researchers will receive a warning email if a scheduled scan time does not have participant information 48 hours before the scan is scheduled.
Cancellations should occur as soon as possible. Three business days is preferred, but cancellations must occur 24 hours in advance. Cancellations due to the research participant within 24 hours of the scan time will be charged an MR technologist fee. Other cancellations within 24 hours will be charged for one hour of scan time. Cancellations must use the online form, and the researcher should verify that the time no longer shows up as booked. The time will still show up on the calendar, but the color coding will be changed to indicate that the time has been cancelled. If more than a third of all a researcher's times are cancelled within a month, then additional penalties or restrictions will be considered.
If your scan exceeds the time you have booked by more than fifteen minutes, then you will be charged for that time. You cannot exceed your time if someone is scheduled immediately after you. The MR technician has to agree that he/she can stay longer than the originally scheduled time.
Additional:
Changes to an approved project
Adding personnel to an approved project
1.The researcher should email the business manager the person's name.
2.The person will be granted access to the MRI area (including the research and control rooms) only after the safety training and screening has taken place.
Adding more time to an approved project
If the researcher only wants to add more MRI hours to an already approved project, then there will be a form for doing so. The business manager will process this and have the calendar system updated so that the researcher can schedule more time.
Enforcement:
Anyone found to have violated this policy may be subject to disciplinary action to be determined by the director.
Revision History: