One of the more common forms of medical malpractice is the outright failure to diagnose a condition. Some of the more commonly mis-diagnosed conditions are hypertension and diabetes. More than 15 million cases of hypertension and 5.7 million diabetes cases have yet to be diagnosed. The failure to diagnose other conditions such as heart attack, lung, breast or colon cancer, and appendicitis can lead to serious deterioration in the patient’s condition as well as significant medical expense. Failure to diagnose medical conditions can seriously jeopardize a person’s health and wellness. When a doctor or healthcare provider fails to diagnose a medical condition, this is a form of medical malpractice. Our medical malpractice attorneys can help you sort through the complexities of a medical malpractice case and receive compensation for your injuries and expenses.Delayed Diagnosis
Many medical malpractice claims arise when doctors or other care providers fail to follow standard procedures, and that failure causes a serious injury. The majority of malpractice cases arise from misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis of diseases and illnesses such as cancer. When serious illnesses are not diagnosed quickly, the delay can cause debilitating injuries, and sometimes death.
Common causes. Not all delayed diagnoses of cancer are grounds for legal action. However, delays almost always reduce success rates in patients with cancer, and can eliminate some treatment options that are only available with early detection. Delayed cancer diagnoses are often caused by:
- Failure to identify the symptoms of disease
- Improper blood or body tissue testing
- Failure to order tests necessary to confirm or rule out disease
- Error in reading test results
- Failure to promptly refer the patient to a specialist for appropriate testing
- Failure to begin required treatment or prescribe necessary medication before disease becomes untreatable