Typos on Radiology Report

These are quite common and happen because the radiologist uses speech recognition software which does not always recognize what exactly he is saying. While the radiologist, does proofread the report, he can not catch all errors. Sometimes very bizarre sentences and words get placed into the radiology report because of this.

Typos are a common reason for the radiologist to get requests for addendums and corrections. Thankfully, most of the time this has no bearing on patient care. In rare cases, typos and speech recognition errors can alter care.

I’ve seen words missing, like when the report states appendicitis but in reality the radiologist meant no appendicitis. Thankfully, the referrer often noticed the discrepancy between the radiologists conclusion and findings and often calls for clarification. In some cases, this can lead to a potential bad outcome, although I can not recall any specific cases I’ve seen.

Often the typos can be corrected in the form of addendums. The radiologist will state that there is a typographical error and states what he meant. In other cases, a phone call will be needed to remedy the situation.

If you suspect an error in your report, you can either tell your doctor or call the radiologist directly. Trust your suspicion and do not assume that everything is correct. Read the entirety of the radiologist report and make sure that everything is consistent.

There will be times when you notice a strange phrase, that may not even have anything to do with medicine or your condition. In these cases, it may be a speech recognition error. Other times, you may see a sentence that makes no sense or seems like it’s missing a word. Spelling errors can also happen.

While the speech recognition software has gotten better over the years, it’s still not perfect. Additionally, the radiologist who proofreads the report is human. Therefore errors are bound to happen at multiple levels despite his best efforts.