"Memory effect" in observer performance studies of mammograms.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate breast radiologists' recognition of mammograms showing cancers that they correctly detected or "missed" during clinical interpretations.


METHODS
Two similar experiments were conducted. In the first, 33 bilateral screening mammograms were reviewed by four breast imagers. These included five cancers that each radiologist had detected, two cancers that each radiologist had "missed," and five mammograms recalled by other radiologists that were not cancer. Radiologists were asked if they had interpreted the mammogram in clinic and if the mammogram was suspicious for cancer. In the second experiment, four different breast imagers reviewed 48 mammograms that included five cancers that each radiologist had detected, two cancers that each radiologist had "missed," and five mammograms that were recalled by each radiologist but were not cancer. Using chi-square analysis, the performance of the radiologists on screening mammograms they had read in clinic was compared with their performance on mammograms read in clinic by other radiologists.


RESULTS
Seven of eight radiologists did not remember interpreting any of the mammograms in clinic. One radiologist correctly remembered interpreting one mammogram in clinic, but interpreted it incorrectly. Average performance showed no significant difference (P = .60) between mammograms they had interpreted in clinic and those interpreted by others.


CONCLUSIONS
Radiologists do not remember most mammograms showing cancer that they have interpreted, either correctly or incorrectly, after they are mixed with mammograms showing cancer that were interpreted by other radiologists. Screening mammograms can be used in observer performance studies in which the interpreting radiologist participates as an observer.
Hardesty
Lara A
LA
Department of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh and Magee-Womens Hospital of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3180.
Ganott
Marie A
MA
Hakim
Christiane M
CM
Cohen
Cathy S
CS
Clearfield
Ronald J
RJ
Gur
David
D
D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D004650:Employee Performance Appraisal; D005188:False Negative Reactions; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008327:Mammography / Q000592:standards; D008568:Memory; D015588:Observer Variation; D011871:Radiology / Q000592:standards*; D012107:Research Design; D012189:Retrospective Studies