Definition of Errors in Imaging

Abstract

Complex tasks laden with uncertainty predispose to errors and discordant opinions. Thus inter- and intra-reader disagreements reflect in part the inherent difficulty in interpreting medical images, especially if we cannot obtain confirmation of the diagnosis. So we need a working definition of errors in imaging. An error is a missed diagnosis, an inaccurate or incomplete diagnosis, the omission to specify follow-up imaging or additional studies, a suboptimal report, an unacceptable delay in delivering the report to the referring physician, or failure to communicate directly with the referring physician regarding emergencies, and other significant findings (whether urgent or not). The estimated error rate in radiology is 5–30%. Different types of errors may occur simultaneously, and some errors may be propagated for up to several years, before they get discovered. Errors potentially may have devastating consequences both for the patients and the physician who made the error, and thus safety protocols have been proposed and implemented to minimize the occurrence and the adverse impact of errors.