Reader fatigue in radiology can lead to high medical errors. Out of more than 11,000 preventable hospital deaths in English NHS acute hospitals each year, over eight thousand deaths are attributed to diagnostic error.
Interpretation of medical images is a challenging task as it is repetitive in nature, and errors (false negatives) are relatively common. Radiologists are also subject to visual fatigue due to continuous and longtime exposure to computer screens for interpreting medical images. It has been found that radiological errors are more likely to occur at the end of shift as compared to the beginning.
Blinded Independent Central Review (BICR) is one method recommended by the FDA for registration oncology trials (1). The objective evaluation of clinical indicators involving radiological images is an important end-point factor in oncology trials. During BICR, readers are routinely monitored using different models to ensure quality reads.