A misdiagnosis of an ailment is one of the last things that a patient or a doctor wishes to see happen when trying to deal with a medical problem. Records from medical malpractice claims indicate that the bulk of misdiagnosis cases that lead a patient to seek compensation through insurance or legal actions arise from heart problems, cancers and infections, including sepsis and meningitis. One method of discovering data concerning misdiagnosis is through autopsies.
Autopsy studies indicate that the rate of misdiagnosis in the general medical community is dropping over the years, but the rate still remains high. The abilities of clinicians are still limited in their ability to predict whether a misdiagnosis is likely in a particular case, and the rise of malpractice claims in recent years from the advent of new opportunistic infections is also noteworthy. One study found that the rate of discrepancy dealing with cause of death was about 17 percent. The study estimated that in general practice, the rate of discrepancy is at least 10 percent.
A medical malpractice claim is a serious issue, and a person who feels they may have been the subject of malpractice may wish to consider discussing their options with an attorney. A failure to diagnose a problem or a misdiagnosis can lead to a serious drop in quality of life or even death.
A lawyer could outline the steps a plaintiff must take to file a malpractice claim. A law firm may also be able to help a plaintiff assemble a list of the parties that were involved in the misdiagnosis and produce documentation explaining their involvement in the case.
Source: Med Page Today, “Misdiagnosis: Can It Be Remedied?“, Joyce Frieden, August 17, 2014
Source: Med Page Today, “Misdiagnosis: Can It Be Remedied?“, Joyce Frieden, August 17, 2014