Errors in the radiological evaluation of the alimentary tract: part I

Physicians are subjected to an increasing number of medical malpractice claims, and radiology is one of the specialties most liable to claims of medical negligence The etiology of radiological error is multifactorial, deriving by poor technique, failures of perception, lack of knowledge, and misjudgments. Reducing errors will improve patient care, may reduce costs, and will improve the image of the hospital. The main reason for studying medical errors is to try to prevent them. This article focuses on the spectrum of diagnostic errors in radiology, including a classification of the errors, and highlights the malpractice issues in methods for functional alimentary tract examination: swallowing act study, 3-dimensional endoanal ultrasound, defecography, and defecography in magnetic resonance.