256 Shades of gray: Uncertainty and diagnostic error in radiology

Abstract

Radiologists practice in an environment of extraordinarily high uncertainty, which results partly from the high variability of the physical and technical aspects of imaging, partly from the inherent limitations in the diagnostic power of the various imaging modalities, and partly from the complex visual-perceptual and cognitive processes involved in image interpretation. This paper reviews the high level of uncertainty inherent to the process of radiological imaging and image interpretation vis-à-vis the issue of radiological interpretive error, in order to highlight the considerable degree of overlap that exists between these. The scope of radiological error, its many potential causes and various error-reduction strategies in radiology are also reviewed.