title: Radiologist uncertainty and the interpretation of screening.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine radiologists' reactions to uncertainty when interpreting mammography and the extent to which radiologist uncertainty explains variability in interpretive performance.
  
  
  METHODS
  The authors used a mailed survey to assess demographic and clinical characteristics of radiologists and reactions to uncertainty associated with practice. Responses were linked to radiologists' actual interpretive performance data obtained from 3 regionally located mammography registries.
  
  
  RESULTS
  More than 180 radiologists were eligible to participate, and 139 consented for a response rate of 76.8%. Radiologist gender, more years interpreting, and higher volume were associated with lower uncertainty scores. Positive predictive value, recall rates, and specificity were more affected by reactions to uncertainty than sensitivity or negative predictive value; however, none of these relationships was statistically significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Certain practice factors, such as gender and years of interpretive experience, affect uncertainty scores. Radiologists' reactions to uncertainty do not appear to affect interpretive performance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community and Family Medicine, Dartmouth Medical School, Hanover and Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA. patricia.a.carney@dartmouth.edu
authors.forename: Patricia A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Carney
authors.forename: Joann G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Elmore
authors.forename: Linn A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Abraham
authors.forename: Martha S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Gerrity
authors.forename: R Edward
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Hendrick
authors.forename: Stephen H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Taplin
authors.forename: William E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Barlow
authors.forename: Gary R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Cutter
authors.forename: Steven P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Poplack
authors.forename: Carl J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: D'Orsi
mesh_terms: D003120:Colorado; D006801:Humans; D008327:Mammography; D009513:New Hampshire; D010820:Physicians / Q000523:psychology*; D011871:Radiology; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D035501:Uncertainty; D000078329:Workforce