As part of a broader quality improvement project among radiology residents to improve their performance on call, the team first took a look at past discordances over a five-year period of interpreting pediatric studies, according to presenter Dr. Michael Baad.
The researchers found 322 discordances (a rate of approximately 1%) and reviewed the cases with respect to time of exam, resident level, type of exam, and pathology missed. The group then presented and discussed these findings, along with patterns of mistakes that were observed, key teaching points, and the most common mistakes, he said.
In the eight months following this presentation, the discordance rate in pediatric studies dropped from about 1% to 0.5%. Furthermore, the spike in discordances that the researchers had observed as new residents start call in July did not occur this year, Baad said.
"Review and discussion of mistakes made on call can lead to improved resident performance," he told AuntMinnie.com.
The analysis also showed that the discordance rate was highest during the busiest time periods, with younger residents (R2s), and in July and August, Baad noted.
"A large portion of discordant findings were missed fractures, particularly in the hands and feet," he said. "Whether it's a missed [pneumonia] or fracture, residents tend to miss findings that are most evident on the lateral views."
