EXPERTISE AND RADIOLOGICAL-DIAGNOSIS - II - EMPIRICAL-STUDY

In order to study cognitive processes of radiological diagnosis, 22 ra diologists with different experience levels interpreted two complex fi lms, with no clinical data. Exploration strategies, used knowledge and reasoning were analyzed. Experimented radiologists interpreted clues more easily, using richer and more integrated knowledge. They used a s ymptomatic exploration, guided by hypotheses that related to salient c ues. Cues that were both subtle and unexpected were better detected by novices and ''super experts'' than by intermediates and ''basic exper ts''. Novices detected those cues by mean of a systematic exploration. ''Super experts'' benefitted from an increased likelihood of unexpect ed cue detection due to longer and more supported reasoning. Also, the y might have complemented the symptomatic exploration with an automati c systematic one.