What you see isn’t always what you get: Errors in imaging – causes and consequences
19 Nov 2026
RVC Clinical Theatre 1
Diagnostic Imaging
Errors in diagnostic imaging are inevitable. Understanding why they occur is the first step towards reducing their frequency and impact on patient care. This session reflects on common imaging errors with examples. The different types of imaging discrepancies, the cognitive mechanisms that underlie them, and the practical and organisational strategies available to minimise their impact are discussed.
- By the end of this session, delegates will be able to:
- 1.Distinguish between interpretive error and expected observer variation and explain why discrepancy rates are inherently high in diagnostic imaging.
- 2.Identify the main categories of imaging error as perceptual and cognitive errors, and system-level errors and describe the risk factors associated with each.
- 3.Recognise the most clinically important cognitive biases in image interpretation and describe strategies to mitigate their effect.
- 4.Apply the principles of root cause analysis and just culture to the review of imaging discrepancies in clinical practice.
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