Mistakes in the diagnostic process of a health condition are more common than you may expect. Multiple cases of a patient’s condition worsening or family members losing a loved one due to a diagnostic error have been reported.
The medical field has different definitions of a diagnostic error. But generally, it’s the failure to (a) establish an accurate and timely explanation of a patient’s health problem(s) or (b) communicate that explanation to the patient.
Diagnostic errors can occur in different ways, including:
1. Misdiagnosis
This is when a doctor gives a patient an incorrect diagnosis – they diagnose a patient with one condition when the patient has a different condition.
Several illnesses have similar symptoms. That’s why doctors should perform sufficient tests and work with other physicians to ensure they order the correct tests and interpret test results correctly.
A doctor who misreads a test or misinterprets data may misdiagnose a patient. Other factors that can contribute to misdiagnosis include poor communication between medical providers, a doctor not spending enough time with their patient, a doctor failing to thoroughly review a patient’s history or a doctor being inexperienced or unqualified.
2. Missed diagnosis
Missed diagnosis is when a patient’s condition is not diagnosed at all. The diagnosis is usually made when the patient visits another physician or upon autopsy.
3. Delayed diagnosis
There is no specified length of time to diagnose a patient because circumstances differ. A diagnosis can be made in minutes, hours, days, weeks or even months. Nonetheless, a doctor should give a diagnosis within a realistic period.
If a doctor fails to diagnose a patient’s condition in a timely manner, such a case may be categorized as a delayed diagnosis.
A diagnostic error can harm a patient. If you or your loved one has experienced any of the above-discussed errors, legal guidance can help you determine what to do.
