As a doctor, nurse or medical professional, you know it’s your duty to do everything you can to examine and treat patients for their illnesses. Treating an illness isn’t easy and it often involves many rigorous tests and examinations. When this isn’t done, a patient’s illness may worsen and they could suffer long-term disabilities or fatal conditions.
If a patient believes they were not given the care they deserve, they could make a medical malpractice claim. Medical malpractice can come in many forms. For example, medical professionals could face claims that they missed a diagnosis or misdiagnosed a patient. These two terms sound the same, but they happen in two distinct ways.
If you’re facing a medical malpractice claim because a patient believes they are a victim of a missed diagnosis or a misdiagnosis, then it can help to learn how this could have occurred. Here’s what you should know:
A diagnosis was never made
Medical professionals see many patients throughout the year. Keeping track of what every patient is experiencing can be a large task, especially when many patients may see medical professionals for seemingly benign reasons.
Medical professionals may not make the necessary examinations to help patients. For example, a patient who has frequent headaches may be told to cut back on caffeine without undergoing any other examinations or tests. However, this patient’s headaches worsened, and the true cause of the headaches was left untreated.
This commonly happens to female patients. Some medical professionals will say something like “It’s all in your head.” And, the patient will never get the treatment they require.
The wrong diagnosis was made
A lot of patients have symptoms of medical conditions that can be easily confused for the wrong thing. For example, a fibromyalgia diagnosis may be confused with multiple sclerosis. This diagnosis could lead to the wrong treatment, which may only harm a patient.
Knowing why a patient is claiming they are a victim of medical malpractice can help if you decide to seek legal help and defend yourself.