Failure To Diagnose/Delayed Diagnosis
Failing to diagnose a disease or condition may be a result of medical malpractice. It is the responsibility of your doctor to use due care to make a proper diagnosis and provide appropriate testing and follow-up care. In certain situations, such as cancer, failing to diagnose or delay in diagnosis may significantly increase the chance of permanent damage and reduce the chance of survival or cure.
Many factors may lead to a doctor failing to diagnose. These include, but are not limited to:
- Misinterpreted lab results.
- Misread x-rays.
- Lost or switched lab results.
- Failure to refer patient to a correct specialist.
- Procedure performed incorrectly or use of the incorrect procedure.
- Failure to take an appropriate or complete medical history or failure to recognize a patient’s presenting symptoms.
- Inadequate differential diagnosis.
- Failure to send for appropriate testing.
If you feel there was a failure to diagnose or a delayed diagnosis of a disease or serious condition, you should speak with a medical malpractice attorney.
