[Inattentional blindness in the diagnostic process]

Abstract

When engaged in a demanding task of visual perception we tend to become blind to stimuli, which are not part of our primary task - a bias known as inattentional blindness. This article studies inattentional blindness in radiologists' interpretation of scans. Furthermore, it is discussed, how attention - being a limited resource - is distributed in the diagnostic process. Does focus on one diagnosis make us blind to findings supporting a differential diagnosis? Does focus on typing patient data into electronic health records draw attention away from the general clinical view of the patient?