B-reader consistency?

Impact Analysis blog talks about the integrity of B Readers as expert witnesses in occupational health court cases. NIOSH B Reader approval is granted to physicians who demonstrate proficiency in the classification of chest radiographs for the pneumoconioses using the International Labour Office (ILO) Classification System. Mesothelioma Aid’s write-up on B-readers is here.

This is pretty esoteric stuff, and not many doctors are proficient enough to read the radiographs. The thing is, some of the expert readers were interpreting radiographs as showing asbestosis in some trials and as silicosis in other trials.