When you are experiencing worrisome symptoms, you want the doctor to accurately and quickly diagnose and treat you, so you will soon be on the road to recovery. But sometimes, it's not that simple, and doctors misdiagnose their patients.
Were you misdiagnosed by a doctor?
Are you one of the approximately 12 million individuals in the United States who was misdiagnosed this year? Roughly half of those patients face severe harm as a result of their misdiagnoses.
How does a misdiagnosis harm a patient?
Being misdiagnosed by your doctor is devastating, especially if you were diagnosed with something not too serious initially. Many victims of misdiagnosis don't realize there is a problem until it is too late. Why? They are often diagnosed with a condition or disease they know is not serious and is easily treatable. Then, their symptoms either don't go away or the symptoms worsen. That leads to a correct diagnosis, which is often severe.
Mistakes lead to misdiagnoses in the emergency room
The emergency room is usually a busy place at any point during the day or night. With dozens of people walking in for care or being brought in via ambulance, mistakes are bound to happen. Despite the emergency room being overrun with patients, doctors and nurses are still required to provide a certain level of care for everyone. Let's look at mistakes that lead to emergency room misdiagnoses.
The dangers of failing to diagnose a patient properly
The failure to diagnose a patient properly can be deadly. That is the worst-case scenario a doctor can face. Why? Failing to diagnose a patient with the proper illness or disease can turn deadly, especially if the issue is not found before it is too late. Today, we will explore the dangers of failing to diagnose a patient properly.
Why second and third opinions matter
Going to the doctor regularly can wind up saving your life. You might have routine tests conducted that find elevated blood pressure, elevated white blood cell count and other indicators of serious illnesses or diseases. But, not every doctor will diagnosis you correctly. That's why it's important to seek out a second and third opinion from other doctors when diagnosed with a serious health condition.
What to do in the event of a cancer misdiagnosis
Cancer claims millions of lives every year. Unfortunately, many people don't receive a fast and accurate diagnosis, thus making it more difficult for them to successfully fight the disease.
Commonly misdiagnosed conditions: Protect yourself
When you visit your doctor with a medical concern, you put your faith in this person. You hope that they'll do whatever it takes to diagnose your ailment, provide treatment and help you reach your former level of health.
How often do doctors make diagnosis mistakes?
There are two main types of diagnosis mistakes. First, the doctor may miss the disease entirely. This is a missed diagnosis when the doctor overlooks something or even tells you that you're healthy when you're not. The second is a misdiagnosis when the doctor knows that there is a problem, but he or she simply thinks it is something else. An example could be telling you that a spot on your skin is a wart when it's actually skin cancer.
It's dangerous to trust a doctor's first opinion
Throughout March, many individuals have been commemorating Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. One of those individuals is a 22-year-old Minneapolis woman. Her abdominal discomfort went misdiagnosed until doctors finally performed a colonoscopy on her. They found that she had colon cancer.
