Common Errors and Overlooked Items in Radiology Reports: A Clinician's Perspective

ABS TRAC T

Radiology reports are the interface between images and bedside action. For surgeons, oncologists, internists and emergency physicians, a few lines in the impression can determine admission, operation, anticoagulation or reassurance. When reports are ambiguous, internally inconsistent, or lack a plan, clinicians face uncertainty that delays care and increases downstream testing. From the clinician’s perspective, the most disruptive problems are missed yet management‑defining findings, dropped negations or laterality errors, overloaded impressions that bury the lede and absent guideline‑anchored recommendations. Conversely, reports that answer the referral question in the first sentence, rank items by urgency and offer time‑bound guidance linked to society standards are trusted and acted upon. This narrative review synthesizes published evidence and professional guidance to outline a practical, clinician‑centric blueprint for radiology reporting. We highlight modality‑specific blind spots (thorax, abdomen/pelvis, neuro, musculoskeletal), provide impression stems and a ten‑minute sign‑off routine, and discuss peer‑learning loops and AI/NLP safety nets. Aligning reports with how clinicians read and decide turns them into reliable instruments that improve outcomes, reduce callbacks and strengthen interdisciplinary trust ^{1–8, 9–14, 15, 23–25}.