Table 2.
Primary Contributors to Diagnostic Errors Identified in This Study
| Contributor Classification | Cases (n=87) | |
|---|---|---|
| n | % | |
| Cognitive errors | 29 | 34 |
| Misidentification/interpretation of finding | 11 | 13 |
| Underappreciation of a finding | 9 | 10 |
| Distraction by other diagnoses | 4 | 5 |
| Overappreciation of a finding | 4 | 5 |
| Incorrect or improper calculation | 1 | 1 |
| Technical factors | 28 | 31 |
| Poor acoustic windows | 15 | 17 |
| Modality limitation | 10 | 11 |
| Imaging artifact | 3 | 3 |
| Patient-or disease-related factors | 15 | 17 |
| Misleading anatomy or physiology | 9 | 10 |
| Rare or complex anatomy or physiology | 6 | 7 |
| Procedural or conditional factors | 13 | 15 |
| Incomplete examination of anatomy/physiology | 9 | 10 |
| Poor imaging conditions | 4 | 5 |
| Communication or information errors | 2 | 3 |
| Lacking or misleading patient history | 1 | 1 |
| Incorrect requisition | 1 | 1 |