Medical or Doctor Misdiagnosis

Medical Misdiagnosis is a serious risk every time you go to the hospital. Medical treatment does not come with the guarantee that everything will be handled at one hundred percent capacity. Doctors, nurses, surgeons, and all other kinds of medical professionals have a standard quality of care. Nevertheless, sometimes this standard is subverted and the patient suffers.  In 2007, the Journal of the American Medical Association notes that the twenty percent rate of misdiagnosis in deceased patients has not changed since the 1930’s.

Medical malpractice is a serious offense to the standard of health care in this country. When you go to the hospital, the last thing on your mind is the doctor making a mistake. Although infrequent, this happens. And sometimes the medical professionals negligently misdiagnose a patient. This can result in giving a patient medication that may be harmful, and even fatal.

Common diseases that are frequently misdiagnosed are:

• Breast Cancer
• Tuberculosis
• Lung Cancer
• Diabetes
• Prostate Cancer
• Cervical Cancer
• Ovarian Cancer
• Testicular Cancer
• Acute Myocardial Infarction (Heart Attack)
• Strokes
• Pulmonary Embolism
• Bacterial Meningitis
• Appendicitis

There are many ways that a medical misdiagnosis can present itself. Whether a doctor is at fault, or hospital staff, a misdiagnosis of a serious illness can have very extreme and harmful effects.

The National Patient Safety Foundation cites that 42% of medical patients feel they have had experienced a medical error or missed diagnosis. Patient safety is sometimes negligently given the back seat for other concerns, such as the cost of medical tests, drugs, and operations.

Medical Misdiagnoses are a serious risk to our healthcare profession. If they continue, then people will fear going to the hospital for treatment. We can put an end to medical misdiagnosis by informing the public and filing claims and suits against the medical practitioners at fault.