Doctors train for years so that they can practice medicine. However, don’t let the term “practice” mislead you because licensed physicians have the knowledge and expertise to treat you as skillfully as possible. Sadly, though, some doctors may fail to recognize a blatant sign of disease, which can result in delayed treatment or even mistreatment of your illness. To help you avoid this misfortune, you should be aware of the risks of misdiagnosis.
Legally, misdiagnosis is a form of medical malpractice wherein a doctor fails to recognize obvious signs of an ailment. This can also be the failure to order the proper battery of tests that can help physicians detect the problem. Of course, if the patient lies to the doctor about his or her symptoms and recent history which may have led to the problem, then the doctor may not be held liable for the mistake.
The problem with misdiagnosis is that health issues that get worse over time, such as cancer, may not be recognized until it is too late to be treated effectively. For example, if your doctor diagnoses your cough as allergies and just tells you to wait it out, this will do no good if your cough is truly caused by lung cancer. Later, you may be waiting for your cough to go away naturally while the tumors spread.
It’s important for healthcare professionals to have legal representation through a law professional. Healthcare law firms can provide legal representation, along with consultations, at an affordable price, often at a better rate than malpractice insurance. While malpractice insurance is necessary for any healthcare professional, it’s possible to minimize deductibles through the right representation. In addition to saving money, a professional law care firm can save you from delayed diagnosis claim. Misdiagnoses can leave you in danger. If you or someone you know has suffered from a misdiagnosis, you should consult a medical malpractice attorney about your options. Talk to the medical malpractice lawyer from the Law Offices.
Another danger of misdiagnosis is that you can be given a medication that does not help you with your true malady. For instance, your doctor may tell you that you have one issue. He or she may try medication after medication to pursue and rid you of this perceived illness, while the true source of your troubles is left untreated.
While we should always be able to trust doctors to perform their duty to us in keeping us safe and healthy, there are some things that you can do to prevent misdiagnosis, just in case. If you are uncertain about a diagnosis, or if it seems very bizarre, you should always consult another physician for a second opinion. Additionally, if you are diagnosed with serious illness that will require expensive or intense treatment, you should ask for a second opinion. Should a general practitioner tell you that you have a certain disorder, double-check the diagnosis with a doctor who specializes in that field. For instance, if your regular physician diagnoses you with Crohn’s disease, a gastrointestinal disorder, visit a gastroenterologist who specializes in gastrointestinal diseases. You may find out that you simply have an allergy to gluten, a wheat protein.