Diagnostic Errors In Radiology Documented In New Study

A new clinical study published on December 20, 2016, in The Spine Journal reveals significant variability in provider quality as well as diagnostic error rates considerably higher than previously reported in the literature. In the study, conducted by the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) and funded by Spreemo Health’s Quality Research Institute (QRI), a single patient was sent for a lower-back MRI at 10 different imaging centers over a three-week period. Notably, not a single diagnostic finding—out of 49 distinct findings reported—was identified by all 10 participating centers.