One of the worst medical mistakes a medical provider can make is a misdiagnosis. Not catching a disease or condition early could lead to serious repercussions for you as the patient in North Carolina. Giving you the wrong diagnosis is equally as damaging. Yet, the Claims Journal explains that out of all malpractice claims about 34% were for misdiagnosis. Even worse, about 65% of those misdiagnosis claims had serious ramifications for the patient.
Misdiagnosis is something that cannot be pushed under the rug or otherwise ignored. It is a serious issue that often leads to severe injury or death. These errors are the most expensive and most likely to create a serious negative effect for the patient. Medical professionals simply have to strive to get it right the first time every time.
The most common conditions that had misdiagnosis were infections, vascular related conditions and cancer. All three require quick reactions and immediate treatment to prevent further complications. Misdiagnosis is not acceptable.
The easiest and most effective way to help prevent this type of error is to increase effective communication and provide more focus on care to patients. Emergency rooms tend t have a very high percentage of misdiagnosis errors, which may be a result of the high pressure and fast pace of this department.
It takes a collective effort to revise the way a medical team works with a patient. It is essential to always collect family history, pay attention to symptoms and ensure a diagnosis makes sense when taken in context with the gathered information. This information is for education and is not legal advice.
