Page 15 - Diagnostic Radiology - Interpreting the Risks Part Two_Neat

SVMIC Diagnostic Radiology: Interpreting the Risks

• Omission errors: search, recognition, and decision-making

• Attention and perception

• Cognitive biases

• Satisfaction of search

• External factors: clinical history, fatigue, workload and
interpretive speed, distractions, and role of specialization
2

Unfortunately, many of these factors relate to how humans

analyze and process scenes, and they are fundamental features
of the human brain that simply cannot be corrected to the point

of perfection. Most of the strategies for error reduction have
traditionally focused on intensive education of a radiologist-in-

training and retraining of practicing radiologists in continuing
education, including unknown case reviews, training in pattern

recognition, repetition, and drills. While not without merit, it
has become clear that these sorts of strategies are ultimately

insufficient.

Adhering to the “control the things you can control” philosophy,

it is important that the radiologist understand the roles
that workload and fatigue contribute to diagnostic errors.

As medical reimbursement continues to trend downward,
radiologists attempt to compensate by undertaking additional

responsibilities and increasing organizational productivity.
The increased workload, rising quality expectations, poor

communication, cognitive biases, and imperfect information
systems serve as major sources of fatigue, often leading to

diagnostic errors. Despite continuously evolving technology
refinement and development, the current medical imaging

system has developed as a one-size-fits-all model with relative

2 Id.

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