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Is work overload associated with diagnostic errors on 18F-FDG-PET/CT?

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European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

To determine the association between workload and diagnostic errors on 18F-FDG-PET/CT.

Materials and methods

This study included 103 18F-FDG-PET/CT scans with a diagnostic error that was corrected with an addendum between March 2018 and July 2023. All scans were performed at a tertiary care center. The workload of each nuclear medicine physician or radiologist who authorized the 18F-FDG-PET/CT report was determined on the day the diagnostic error was made and normalized for his or her own average daily production (workloadnormalized). A workloadnormalized of more than 100% indicates that the nuclear medicine physician or radiologist had a relative work overload, while a value of less than 100% indicates a relative work underload on the day the diagnostic error was made. The time of the day the diagnostic error was made was also recorded. Workloadnormalized was compared to 100% using a signed rank sum test, with the hypothesis that it would significantly exceed 100%. A Mann–Kendall test was performed to test the hypothesis that diagnostic errors would increase over the course of the day.

Results

Workloadnormalized (median of 121%, interquartile range: 71 to 146%) on the days the diagnostic errors were made was significantly higher than 100% (P = 0.014). There was no significant upward trend in the frequency of diagnostic errors over the course of the day (Mann–Kendall tau = 0.05, P = 0.7294).

Conclusion

Work overload seems to be associated with diagnostic errors on 18F-FDG-PET/CT. Diagnostic errors were encountered throughout the entire working day, without any upward trend towards the end of the day.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Medical Imaging Center, Departments of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands

    Romy Toxopeus, Ömer Kasalak, Derya Yakar, Walter Noordzij, Rudi A. J. O. Dierckx & Thomas C. Kwee

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  1. Romy Toxopeus
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  2. Ömer Kasalak
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  3. Derya Yakar
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  5. Rudi A. J. O. Dierckx
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  6. Thomas C. Kwee
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Correspondence to Thomas C. Kwee.

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Toxopeus, R., Kasalak, Ö., Yakar, D. et al. Is work overload associated with diagnostic errors on 18F-FDG-PET/CT?. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 51, 1079–1084 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00259-023-06543-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00259-023-06543-3

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