Influence of Teaching Satisfaction of Search Interpretation Errors on Detection of Radiographic Edge-and-Corner Lesions by 4th Year Veterinary Students

Abstract

Edge and Corner (E&C) pathology is defined as clinically relevant findings in diagnostic imaging that are located at the physical periphery of studies and thus easily overlooked. Satisfaction of search is a perceptive interpretation error which can compound the difficulty of detecting E&C lesions. Guiding veterinary students to systematically identify these lesions would likely benefit their training, and the authors sought to determine if teaching the concept of satisfaction of search could influence students’ ability to detect E&C lesions. Sixty-five students beginning their clinical radiology rotation were recruited and allocated into treatment, placebo, and control groups. All were taught systematic imaging review techniques, though only the treatment group was taught about satisfaction of search error. A radiographic interpretation quiz was administered to assess students’ ability to detect E&C lesions, determine if awareness of satisfaction of search error impacts E&C lesion detection, and assess general preparation for the rotation based on application of knowledge from pre-clinical coursework. Additional associations between quiz performance and GPA, pre-clinical radiology grade, veterinary school of matriculation, and weeks of clinical year experience were evaluated. No significant difference in detection of E&C lesions was found between any groups, though GPA, radiology course grade, and school of matriculation were significantly associated with general quiz performance. Results indicate that E&C lesion detection is a difficult task for students, that brief, lecture-based teaching of satisfaction of search error does not influence E&C lesion detection, and that pre-clinical grades at the authors’ institution are predictive of imaging rotation preparedness.