When you have irritating or debilitating symptoms, you turn to your doctor for a diagnosis. You explain what has happened, and they figure out what medical condition causes them. Knowing what has caused your symptoms makes it much easier for you to treat them.
Unfortunately, doctors can make mistakes when diagnosing patients. Some mistakes are due to gaps in knowledge or an unusual presentation of a disease. However, some diagnostic errors are preventable. For example, some diagnostic failures are totally preventable because they are the result of how medical offices operate these days rather than an issue with the doctor offering the diagnosis.
Modern medicine is a profit-driven industry
Much like fast-food workers staffing the drive-thru, doctors are now subject to expectations regarding how many patients they see in an hour and how much profit they generate for their employer. Unfortunately, this means that many doctors have to see multiple patients an hour.
Because doctors often have very little time to spend with patients, research has shown that they may listen to you for as little as 11 seconds before making a determination about your diagnosis. You may not have an opportunity to explain your symptoms before the doctor has already mentally diagnosed you.
Inaccurate or failed diagnosis may be medical malpractice
If your doctor failed to diagnose you because they didn’t listen to you or rush through their time with you, you may suffer as a result. Worsening symptoms and the chance of a poor outcome are often the cost patients must bear when their doctor fails to diagnose them.
Medical malpractice claims can help patients get compensation for their medical condition and can help a doctor or facility accountable for failing those patients.