“What is the accuracy of a radiologist report?”

Yes, they are human and make mistakes. But that is rare.

It depends what kind of tumor and how big it is. Tumors can be missed.

No medical test is 100% accurate, and no doctor is 100% accurate. Some tumors will not be visible on MRI or CT scans, and, rarely, a radiologist will miss a finding on an MRI or CT scan that turns out to be a tumor.

Hi yes, we are all human and are subject to mistakes and errors like all people. Miss rate does decrease if the read was done by a radiologist with fellowship training.

Thanks

Dr Cox

Radiologist reports are accurate if they describe accurately any acute findings and then go on to describe non acute or chronic incidental findings. Any chronic findings that need additional work up or surgery also need to be described. These would include findings such as tumors, aneurysms, lymphadenopathy etc. Such subacute or chronic findings would require further treatment including but not limited to surgery, chemotherapy, radiation etc.. The report should be concise and should contain 4 sections- patient demographics, indication for study or clinical history, date and time of study, study type and modality, radiographic findings, impression, timed and dated electronic signature. The report should become part of the patients permanent clinical record. If additional findings or changes need to be r made to the report, then these would fall under a timed, dated and signed Addendum section. Any acute findings such as GI bleed, bowel perforation, aortic aneurysm rupture, ectopic or ruptured ectopic pregnancy, ovarian or testicular torsion etc need to be communicated on the phone or in person directly with the provider and this needs to be documented on the original radiology report. The report is incomplete without comparison to prior similar studies. The date of the comparison exam and any changes or additional new findings need to documented in the original report.

Hope this helps.

Brian

Difficult to answer. Most reports are accurate but tumors can be missed due to multiple reasons such as size and location. Even good radiologists can miss lesions that we’re there in retrospect. Missing a lesion is not necessarily malpractice unless it is obvious and would have been seen by a average radiologist

A radiologist is a human being, and as such is imperfect, and it is possible for a person to make a mistake. However, a radiologist is a person who cares so much about helping other human beings that they invest a great deal of time in learning their profession. Specifically, 4 years of college, 4 years of medical school, 1 year of internship, 4 years of radiology residency and then, if they subspecialize, another one or depending on the sub specialty (like Neuroradiology) two years of fellowship training. Radiologists are hyper focused on noticing every detail of your imaging study so as not to miss anything. It is our greatest fear, to miss a finding. However, depending on the environment where you get your care, a radiologist may be compromised by being asked to read your study in the middle of the night when they are exhausted. Or they may be asked to read such a high volume of cases that they must move very quickly - sometimes too quickly through studies.

If you have ANY question about your study, I’d encourage you to get a copy and take it to be read by another radiologist at another facility for a second opinion. You are entitled to do this.

Dr. Jennifer Benjamin