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How do a misdiagnosis and a missed diagnosis differ?

On Behalf of | Sep 24, 2023 | Medical Malpractice

People frequently have faith that doctors would act ethically so that patients can recover from their ailments. When a patient visits their doctor, they anticipate that every effort will be taken to identify the issue and provide remedies. A patient may be misdiagnosed or have a missed diagnosis if this isn’t done. 

Both of these phrases are examples of medical negligence and can lead to major medical issues, but they don’t mean the same things. Even if the two phrases might result in medical negligence, it might be crucial to know the distinctions between the two. What you need to know is this:

Incorrectly diagnosing a medical condition 

Doctors should conduct tests and examinations to identify the assistance patients require. Once enough tests have been performed, doctors should have sufficient knowledge to identify the illness and recommend a course of therapy or medication. 

Doctors may misdiagnose patients’ diseases since numerous medical disorders have similar symptoms. The wrong course of therapy or treatment can be suggested as a result. Patients can subsequently encounter more side effects from the recommended medication and experience worse symptoms from their underlying medical issues.

Having a medical condition ignored 

Even after seeking treatment for a medical ailment, a person’s condition may not be diagnosed. This can occur when a doctor ignores a patient’s symptoms without offering a diagnosis. Women, for instance, are frequently informed that their medical issues are physiological, which results in missed diagnoses and worse symptoms. 

Even if a patient has undergone testing and assessments, a missed diagnosis might still occur. It’s possible that the testing and evaluations will provide no definitive findings. Therefore, no diagnosis was made. 

Misdiagnosis and missed diagnoses victims frequently have serious medical illnesses and aren’t treated until it’s too late. Learning about their legal options while pursuing medical malpractice compensation may be beneficial for victims. 

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