Common mistakes made by radiologists

Even the most well-trained radiologists are not perfect. We are only human of course. There are some common mistakes that radiologists have been known to make. Look out for these few mistakes so you can get a second opinion. Mistakes made by radiologists typically come from reporting the conclusion.Sometimes a radiologist won’t have a conclusion at all. Especially if a report is long, the radiologist should come to a conclusion. Sometimes radiologists are not sure of the findings in the x-rays. If they are uncertain about what they find, they will simple omit a conclusion. The radiologist should admit to a patient that they do not understand the findings. The patient will feel more secure about the radiologist if they simply state the truth. It’s not a bad thing to be uncertain. This let the patient know that a second scan may be necessary. If the conclusion is fully omitted then the patient may think that everything is fine.Radiologists who are not confident in their findings will often repeat the entire report in the conclusion. Descriptions of the report should only be stated once. The conclusion only needs to be one or two sentences concluding what the findings mean. If a radiologist has an unclear conclusion, then it probably means they aren’t sure of the findings. A patient needs to be aware of this so they can get a second scan for further interpretation.It is imperative that the radiologist asks all necessary questions prior to taking the images. Whether they ask the referring doctor or the patient themselves, the radiologist needs to have a thorough health history report prior to taking the scans. This can ensure that the radiologist is getting accurate images of all necessary areas of the body. If the radiologist is not fully prepared prior to taking the scan, he or she may not obtain all the necessary images.When taking images, a radiologist may come across irrelevant findings in a scan. It is important that these get included in the report, but a radiologist should not include them in the conclusion. Many doctors will solely read the conclusion. Irrelevant findings are not of medical importance. If a doctor reads this in the conclusion of the report, he or she may think that these findings are imperative to address. Incidental findings should only be included in the conclusion if it may warrant a closer examination.The conclusion needs to be explicitly stated. A radiologist should never assume that a doctor reading the report will know what they mean if they write it in short hand. It needs to say exactly what was found, word for word. This is the only way to ensure that they is not any miscommunication. Also, a radiologist should assume that the doctor is not familiar with the condition that was found. This can also ensure that the doctor will make the correct diagnosis.Las Vegas Desert Radiologists at Steinberg Diagnostic are well-trained. They provide excellent care for patients. If you are getting an X-ray done, the radiologists will do their job efficiently. For more information, contact 702.732.6000.