Identifying an illness as the source of patient’s problems is key to the patient healing. Correctly diagnosing an illness is crucial, as that dictates proper treatment and care. Correctly diagnosing a medical issue requires a thorough assessment and evaluation of the patient’s physical being and medical history.
A cursory glance at a patient’s chart or failure to ask critical questions about symptoms, family traits, medications, etc., can mean the wrong treatment or even no treatment is provided. Misdiagnosis can have harmful and even fatal consequences.
Common medical diagnostic errors include:
- Failing to diagnose an issue
- Diagnosing an issue as something else
- Misreading, misunderstanding, or misinterpreting a diagnostic tool
- Utilizing outdated diagnostic tools
- Failing to recognize or understand the warning signs associated with a medical problem
If a doctor was rushed, careless, distracted, uninterested, or simply mistaken, a patient’s medical problems can worsen from a lack of treatment or could be exacerbated by improper treatment.