Mermaid Beach Radiology

 

Summary

As the name suggests, Mermaid Beach Radiology is located in Mermaid Beach on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia.

This provider offers advanced 3T full-body MRI using a Philips system as a partner clinic to Whole Body MRI TM. While Mermaid Beach Radiology has some information available on their website, including this dedicated full-body MRI page, the majority of this overview is based off of the information provided on Whole Body MRI website.

Mermaid Beach Radiology’s full-body scan is claimed to be the most comprehensive scan in Australia, including more sequences and data compared to other providers. They highlight their advanced technology, including SyMRI and NeuroQuant, as well as boast an exclusive solution to the infamous DWIBS distortion dilemma at 3T. This provides never-before-seen sensitivity in areas such as the neck and chest.

This provider has the longest scan time of all the providers (100 minutes), which Mermaid Beach Radiology justifies in providing more opportunistic data compared to

This provider also ranks high on patient experience front, with in-bore audiovisuals, bamboo loungewear and other scan day comforts.

Conditions Detected

Unique to providers in Australia, Mermaid Beach Radiology via Whole Body MRI(tm)’s website shares at great length the capabilities, limitations and conditions detected.

This provider clearly states that this scan is intended for cancer detection, with the ability to detect other life-limiting conditions such as aneurysms, neurological conditions such as multiple sclerosis.

Uniquely, this provider offers additional imaging for even more opportunistic health data including brain quantification with SyMRI and NeuroQuant, liver fat and iron quantification, and the scan cost includes a low-dose CT chest and CT calcium score for better evaluation of lung health and cardiovascular risk.

The full list of conditions detected on the Whole Body MRI scan at Mermaid Beach Radiology can be found here.

Technology

This provider uses Philips 3T MRI, similar to another Southeast Queensland provider, Brisbane Radiology. However, this provider uses advanced technique and access to clinical science tools to overcome the challenges posed by full-body application of DWIBS. This is claimed to provide never-before-seen sensitivity and precision in areas traditionally considered a challenge.

Mermaid Beach Radiology boast other next-generation technologies including SPECTRAL CT (used for Spectral low-dose CT chest as apart of the full-body Imaging), NeuroQuant, SyMRI.

Cost

This provider is one of only a handful that publish their prices online. At the time of writing, the Whole Body MRI scan at Mermaid Beach Radiology is $3150.00 AUD including low-dose CT chest and coronary calcium score.

This provider also offers a comprehensive multi-modality screening package for a in-depth look at some areas that require targeted imaging (e.g. for the earliest detection of cancers), and other scans to evaluate metabolic, endocrine, reproductive and cardiovascular health. This is somewhat unique, particularly in the Queensland area, with only HealthScreen in Victoria offering a similar multi-modality package.

To compare costs between providers, click here.

Patient experience

Mermaid Beach Radiology offers individuals undertaking a full-body MRI the following:

• a gift of bamboo loungewear for increased comfort during the scan

• audio-visual in-bore experience through specialised headwear to stream movies and TV shows during the scan.

• post-scan refreshments, including coffee and snacks

• On-site parking

Additionally, Mermaid Beach Radiology may arguably be the most highly rated radiology provider in Australia, with an impressive 5.0 star average with over 1500 Google reviews. Reviewers comment on state-of-the-art technology, excellent customer service, friendly staff, and well designed facilities.

MRIQ Recommendation

Mermaid Beach Radiology is hard to beat for patient scan experience, value and quality. At the time of writing, this facility is our top pick for full-body MRI.

Ezra

Summary

Ezra is a US-based partner-clinic style provider which offers full-body MRI with a particularly focus on leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance image quality. Using AI, Ezra’s goal is to make full-body MRI scans accessible to all, performed in as little as 15 minutes for $500.00 USD.

Conditions Detected

Similar to Prenuvo, Ezra claim to be able to detect over 500 conditions in their 60 minute scan. It is unclear whether this also applies to the Ezra Flash (30 min scan) as it does not include all body areas covered elsewhere.

Similar to other providers, they do not seem to include sensitivity or staging information to give the health consumer an idea of how sensitive they are to identifying early life-limiting conditions. However, have indicated that with the inclusion of low-dose CT chest, Ezra add they can detect “potential nodules” of 1mm in size.

Interestingly, most all of this providers discussion around conditions starts with the words “possible” or “potential” adding a bit of uncertainty to the reader on their ability to visualise or characterise. This may be a result of the lack of diffusion-imaging.

Technology

This provider partners with radiology clinics to offer full-body MRI services using 3T platforms.

While 3T has difficulties in clinically meaningful full-body DWIBS acquisition, the ability to offer multi-modality screening through partnering comprehensive radiology adds some tangible value to individuals. While no medical imaging is 100% accurate, the lack of effective DWIBS at 3T may negatively impact rate of erroneous findings - which applies to most all 3T providers.

Ezra promote the use of their proprietary AI systems to enhance image quality and produce Medical Reports. Ezra have also incorporated the use of AI to generate patient reports and to responding to customer enquiries via email.

Cost

Ezra have a few options on pricing which can be seen here.

Ezra Flash

Simple 30 minute scan leveraging their proprietary AI to enhance the image quality of scans performed at lower resolution (as a result of faster acquisition). This scan does not include the spine and costs $1495 USD (~$2300 AUD).

Ezra Full Body

This scan is akin to Prenuvo’s full-body, not including additional CT-based imaging of the chest. This scan covers the spine, but does not include detection of any malignancies in the cardiothoracic regions. This scan package costs $2395 USD (~$3800 AUD)

Ezra Full Body Plus

Full Body Plus includes Ezra’s 3T full body scan protocol, as well as, low-dose CT chest for lung cover. A CT coronary calcium score can be added on, but this costs additional. This multi-modality screening scan comes in at $2695 USD (~$4200 AUD).

Patient Experience

Consistent with their brand, Ezra utilise AI to facilitate the early conversations via Chatbot and Email replies.

While users are provided Ezra PJs and socks as a perk, the patient experience is largely dependent on the provider clinic (which is acknowledged by Ezra), including availability of in-bore entertainment and ambient experience. If you are seeking an Ezra scan, please reach out to the local provider clinic to learn more about whether you are able to stream movies during your 60 minute scan.

Reports are provided to the patient via an online portal, which offers a great intuitive break down of findings. Each finding is scored on a 1 to 5 scale of importance (modified scale, similar to PIRADS) as determined by AI, and reviewed by a medical professional. This facilitates clearer information on what requires follow up. Other providers, such as Prenuvo, do something similar but (in MRIQs opinion) is less refined than Ezra.

You can see a sample report here.

Patients receive a brief post-scan consult with a medical professional to go over findings of the full-body scan.

Compare

See how Ezra compares to other providers in scan time, cost, sensitivity, body regions, and others.

MRIQ Recommendation

Ezra have great technology, and are supported by well-known insustry thought leaders including Dr Daniel Sodickson, who is well known for the invention of parallel MRI and significant contribution to literature and advancement of the field.

At this time, the lack of full-body DWIBS is a draw-back of Ezra’s offerings, which increases the likelihood of indeterminant findings, requiring additional investigation.

Prenuvo

Summary

Prenuvo is arguably the most well-known large scale, corporate full-body MRI provider internationally, with many clinics through out the USA. To date this company has raised over 190 million dollars from investors to carry out full-body MRI screening, and more recently "Prenuvo Enhanced” (available in only in Silicon Valley) which includes Prenuvo’s own body-composition analysis, additional neurological assessments, and a blood test panel to complement the MRI scan.

This provider use 1.5T Philips platform a 50 minute full-body scan. Because these clinics are primarily Prenuvo owned, rather than partner clinics with comprehensive radiology providers, their imaging services are limited to MRI. In other words, Prenuvo scans do not include lung cover or evaluation of cardiovascular disease risk like other providers Ezra or Mermaid Beach Radiology.

Prenuvo clearly have a well-oiled machine facilitated by significant investment. Their patient experience includes onboarding exploratory calls, online portals, lay-person patient reports, and post-scan follow-up call.

However, Prenuvo comes in at the most expensive of the full-body MRI providers. However, despite the slower 1.5T platform, Prenuvo do acquire full-body DWIBS for greater sensitivity and tissue characterisation compared to other US-based 3T providers.

For Australians, Prenuvo is expected to arrive in Sydney in early 2025; with Melbourne expected later. Not much information is available publicly at this time. When choosing between Prenuvo’s 1.5T platform, and 3T full-body with DWIBS correction offered by Mermaid Beach Radiology, MRIQ recommends the latter for better value and greater health insights. Furthermore, Mermaid Beach Radiology regularly validates their screening scan with full-body MRI for oncology for extra layer of confidence.

Conditions Detected

Prenuvo state that they can detect over 500 conditions in their full-body scan. Unlike some Australian providers, Prenuvo goes through a significant effort list capabiliites. Some claimed capabilities are questionnable (e.g. breast cancer - what stage? as all full-body MRI can detect late state breast lesions) and appear to inflate the number of conditions detected. For example, the Prenuvo conditions page lists normal anatomical variations and even “indeterminant lesions as detected condition.

You can see a list of conditions detected by Prenuvo’s scan here.

Technology

Prenuvo uses Philips 1.5T MRI scanners to perform full-body screening.

Generally, 3T MRI offers superior soft-tissue contrast; however, in the case of full-body MRI screening the optimisation of the cancer-sensitive sequences (DWIBS) is challenging at 3T. Prenuvo discusses on their website that for full-body screening, 1.5T is superior to 3T due to ability to acquire clinically meaningful DWIBS. This holds true for providers who are unable to overcome the challenges of full-body application of DWIBS on 3T. However, does not hold for providers that are able to acquire geometrically-corrected DWIBS.

Cost

The Prenuvo full-body scan is $2499 USD, which equates to approximately $4000 AUD. This cost does not include low-dose CT chest or calcium score.

This makes this scan the most expensive available of the currently reviewed providers for Australians (or North Americans) willing to travel.

Patient Experience

Highlights of the Prenuvo experience include:

• Great onboarding process with a discovery call prior to booking.

• In the US, no referral required, but is required for other countries such as Canada. It will be interesting whether a referral is required for Australian providers, as this is currently a mixed bag for Australian providers, so requiring and others not.

• Audio-visual experience similar to other providers (Mermaid Beach Radiology).

• Patient lay-report provided in patient portal

• Post-report follow call with trained nurse or other medical professional (not Radiologist or Doctor).

Compare

Prenuvo full-body MRI images have been reviewed by the team behind express permission from the individual.

To compare cost, inclusions, scan time, anatomical regions covered for other providers - please visit the comparison section of this site.

MRIQ Recommendation

If you are geographically restricted to North America, Prenuvo is an excellent option for sensitivity and patient experience and, in our opinion is superior to other providers using 3T MRI (based on imaging capabilities).

If you are willing to travel, MRIQ would recommend Mermaid Beach Radiology for more opportunistic health data (includes low-dose CT chest, liver quantification), superior sensitivity and precision as a result the use of a 3T platform with DWIBS correction.

Brisbane Radiology

 

Summary

Brisbane Radiology is located in Fortitude Valley in Brisbane, Queensland. This relatively new Australian-based provider boasts full-body MRIs performed on an advanced 3T Philips MRI scanner.

Not a lot of information is publicly available on the imaging capabilities, scan regions or conditions detected. Based on their website, the advertised scan time for full-body MRI is average in length taking approximately 60 minutes. The website provides additional information about how MRI works, and that this scan is performed without the use of contrast dye (called gadolinium) in line with the industry standards.

Conditions Detected

For an individual to make informed decisions, it is important to understand what is covered and what is not. This is ultimately a reflection of technical capabilities. The information sheet provided on enquiry late 2024 lists potential conditions detected during this full-body screening test.

In summary, this scan may detect cancerous lesions including solid organ cancers of the chest, abdomen and pelvis 10mm or larger, with the ability to differentiate between malignancy, benign conditions such as cyst, haematoma and haemangiomas. Head, neck and bone and connective tissue tumours are also seen; however, this document doesn’t provide degree of sensitivity for these regions.

According to the information available, this scan is also capable of detecting other life-limiting conditions such as neurological conditions (e.g. MS) and aneurysms.

The concern MRIQ has is that this provider is making sensitivity claims particularly though the chest (and neck) regarding detection of cancerous lesions on a 3T machine. It is notoriously difficult to optimise full-body DWI at higher magnetic strengths, such as 3T, to maintain diagnostic quality particularly to the neck and cardio-thoracic areas. Only time will tell.

Technology

Brisbane Radiology uses a Philips 3T machine. Unique to only a few providers, Brisbane offers an in-bore audiovisual experience with the ability to stream video during the scan.

Cost

At the time of writing, this scan is $2200.00 AUD. Compared to other true full-body MRI providers, this is on the more affordable end from an upfront end, but true value stems from capabilities and included health data.

Patient Experience

As mentioned previously, this provider offers video and music streaming during the scan. This is an excellent touch and adds significantly to the tolerability of this scan.

Google reviews speak highly of the clinics aesthetic, beautiful and non-medical with an average of 4.7 star Google Review. Of the 22 reviews at the time of writing, none were for full-body MRI service.

Brisbane Radiology are accepting individuals without a doctor referral, but ask that the individual nominates an AHPRA registered medical doctor to receive the results.

Compare

This service provider is included in the comparison variable for 3T providers including comparing scan time and cost.

At the time of writing, one set of patient images and report for this full-body service provider have been reviewed by MRIQ express consent from the scanned individual. See images with commentary in the Case Studies.

MRIQ Recommendation

This service provider provides an above average patient experience with beautiful facilities and in-bore audiovisuals. However, 3T MRI is challenging to optimise for full-body screening and unfortunately, this provider has yet to optimise their imaging protocols to acquire clinically meaningful DWIBS for reliable cancer screening. This is the most important aspect of cancer detection as discussed in the literature here.

Adelaide MRI

 

Summary

Adelaide MRI includes three clinics located in Adelaide, South Australia.

This radiology provider offers a “pick-n-choose” style of imaging, that arguably is a misnomer for full-body MRI as advertised on their website. While likely preferred by individuals seeking a lower-entry point, this full-body provider offers 1 hour scan time with the ability to pick regions of interest. This typically includes 4 regions; however, some body parts are worth two scans (e.g. prostate screening) requiring 30 minutes of the 60 minute appointment, further limiting the number of assessments that can be performed in a single visit.

At the time of writing, images from this provider have not been reviewed to provide comparison to other full-body MRI providers. Information below has been determined based on the publicly available. To contribute our our mission, contact us.

Conditions Detected

Because this provider performs targeted imaging of select areas, the ability to detect early cancer or other potentially-life limiting conditions is likely high in the regions scanned. However, while the information available on this page here clearly marketed as a cancer screening, this webpage is a bit more vague whether the offered imaging is intended for cancer detection. We give them the benefit of the doubt, especially considering that they are most likely performing dedicated imaging for each chosen region.

The challenge with this service offering, is that without known risk factors, an individual doesn’t know where their future cancer may appear. Imagine undergoing regular brain, neck, abdomen screening only to develop sarcoma of the ankle.

Technology

At this time, it appears Adelaide MRI use both 1.5T and 3T MRI for their imaging. While 3T typically offers superior soft-tissue imaging, the challenges of full-body MRI at 3T are only experienced when performing a full-body acquisition. These challenges do not apply to this provider as they perform specific targeted imaging instead.

Cost

At the time of writing, Adelaide MRI charge $800.00 AUD for 60 minutes of scan time, offering 2 - 4 regions scanned. In other words, $200 AUD per body region.

From the website, it appears that this 60 minute designation is “multi-modality” time which also includes other scans such as low-dose CT chest and ultrasound breast screening.

Because this is not a true full-body MRI service (similar to Panorama), this provider offers dedicated imaging is cheaper up front. However, misses out on the multi-region, multi-system coverage offered by a other full-body providers.

For example, full-body MRI scans performed by other providers in Queensland, cover all areas listed on the worksheet provided to make region selection in one single scan. The cost ranges between $1500 to $3150 AUD and varies with technology and inclusions. If one was to select all the scan regions on the provided checklist (see here, current as of mid-January 2025), with the assumption that each tick box is $200.00 AUD, it would amount to at least $4000.00 out of pocket. Factoring the information on their website, some scans within the abdomen are equivalent to two scans or require 30 minutes to evaluate. This brings the final total to $5000.00 AUD for nearly equivalent anatomical and conditions coverage. It is important to note that this amount does not include lung screening, or any pelvic / reproductive organs typically covered to by other full-body MRI providers.

Mid-february correspondence with the reception team has confirmed that brain, neck, chest, abdomen and pelvis is $1000.00 ($200.00 per region) which includes cancer screening

Experience

Like all screening, this scan is intended to be performed regularly to complement other screening tests recommended by your doctor. However, returning for a subsequent scan is very much dependent on patient experience.

During the 60 minute scan session, Adelaide MRI clinics offer music through headphones. This is on par with most other clinics.

The clinics themselves score between 3.3 - 4.2 stars on Google for customer experience. This is average for similar service providers.

At the time of writing, there is no information publicly available for preparation requirements with regards to their Whole Body MRI service. Based on what is common for other dedicated imaging, there is likely some preparation for any abdominal imaging.

Compare

Although Adelaide MRI advertise their service as a “whole-body MRI”, MRIQ has not included this provider in the comparisons as it is a fundamentally different service from true full-body providers.

If you have full-body images you would like to be reviewed or contribute to the MRIQ project, please contact us.

MRIQ Recommendation

Adelaide MRI receives points for offering information available online, in an easy to read format which gives individuals some information on what is involved in the scan.

Unless you have a specific area that you are concerned about, this full-body service is not the most cost effective for a general whole-body screening scan in asymptomatic low-risk individuals.

Disclaimer

The information on this website is based on factual data available publicly, professional experience, and insights gained from working within radiology alongside experts in the field. While every effort is made to ensure accuracy and reliability, the content reflects my own professional opinions and experience. This site does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. For any medical concerns or decisions, please consult a qualified healthcare professional. If you have any complaints, corrections, or feedback of any kind, please contact us.