Male doctor showing stethoscope for checkup. Close up of doctor hand holding stethoscope to auscultate breath. Doctor with stethoscope in hand on hospital background for medical visit.
One true thing about you is that you put a higher level of trust and faith in physicians. You never question their judgment and always follow whatever course the medical experts suggest. Unfortunately, these experts can make mistakes when diagnosing an injury or sicknesses such as gastric bypass, cerebral hypoxia, radiology, ophthalmology, orthopedic injuries, cancer, and more. When such mistakes happen, the consequences may be severe or even life-threatening.
In some cases of failure to diagnose or misdiagnosis, the medical expert may be guilty of negligence or malpractice. If you or your loved one suffered negative health consequences because of a doctor’s failure to diagnose or misdiagnosed a medical condition, it’s recommended to consult with a medical negligence attorney to know your legal options and perhaps start the process of filing a medical malpractice claim.
Common diagnostic errors
Here are some of the common diagnostic mistakes that most patients in Florida report.
Failure to conduct a thorough medical history review: When a medical expert fails to evaluate your medical history, they may not have the right picture of your health, allergies, and potential medical complications.
Improper physician-patient communication: When the healthcare provider fails to ask a patient the right questions, or the patient is unable to communicate their issues adequately, misdiagnosis or failure to diagnose may occur. Such a communication breakdown can be extremely dangerous. Thus, it is essential for doctors to ask their patients the right questions to fully comprehend what the patient is suffering from.
Errors in judgment: In most cases, diagnostic mistakes are attributed to poor judgment on the part of the medical expert. If a healthcare provider ignores your symptoms or fails to perform the appropriate tests, they may put your health at serious risk.
Failure to act correctly on test results: When medical test results show that a patient has a specific medical condition, the expert handling these tests must report them to the patient’s doctor. The doctor must then take the most appropriate action to address the health issue. If there is a serious breakdown in this procedure, the health condition may not be handled properly.
When is a medical mistake considered to be medical malpractice?
Diagnostic error or misdiagnosis may be considered medical malpractice if the victim can prove that the medical expert failed to offer an assessment that reasonably competent physician would have provided. In these cases, the burden of proof falls on you (the patient). Remember, a professional medical malpractice lawyer can turn to medical professionals to demonstrate how the diagnostic may have been different in the hands of another physician.
Also, you must show that the diagnostic error caused your injuries. If you and your attorney can persuasively demonstrate that someone’s negligence is responsible for your injuries or the death of a loved one, you can qualify for compensation. If a medical practitioner’s harmed you, first seek medical attention from another facility and then collect all the relevant paperwork. You will need these documents to prove that the doctor was responsible for your injuries.