Identifying and Categorizing Diagnostic Errors in Abdominal Imaging Using a Diagnostic Imaging-Specific Annotation...

This initiative aimed to identify and classify contributory factors to diagnostic errors in abdominal imaging using an annotation process to identify, quantify, and categorize process-related errors.

This was a retrospective, quality improvement, institutional review board-approved study conducted at an academic health system on 200 randomly selected adult patients who completed abdominal diagnostic imaging examinations between January 1, 2022, and December 31, 2022, in which a radiologist recommended additional imaging. We used an expert panel to develop a taxonomy based on two previously described taxonomies for process-related errors. We then applied an iterative process to train annotators to apply the taxonomy and assess medical records for diagnostic errors. We assessed the proportion of patients with diagnostic errors, as well as interrater reliability in classifying contributory factors. We also measured percentage agreement in identifying diagnostic errors using an annotation taxonomy versus a gold standard developed by two abdominal radiologists.

The final sample included 185 patients. A total of 14.6% (27 of 185; 95% confidence interval 10.2%-20.4%) patients undergoing abdominal imaging experienced at least one diagnostic error. Interannotator agreement with the gold standard increased from 61.1% (33 of 54) at baseline for 5 reviewers to 80% (40 of 50) (χ²P = .04) after four rounds of annotation. "Delay in performing ordered test(s)" is the major contributory factor to diagnostic errors.

Process-related diagnostic errors occurred in almost one in seven patients undergoing abdominal imaging with recommended additional imaging. After iterative training, an annotation process for identifying patients who have imaging diagnostic errors achieved significant interannotator agreement compared with a gold standard of radiology specialist review.