Does a Misdiagnosis Constitute Medical Malpractice? 

 Posted on May 16, 2023 in Medical Malpractice

 Medical malpractice occurs when medical professionals, such as doctors, nurses, dentists, or surgeons, knowingly or through negligence, fail to meet the medical standard of care and this failure leads to a patient's injury. Misdiagnosis and missed diagnosis occur when a medical practitioner fails to accurately diagnose a patient’s condition. In certain situations, failure to diagnose a patient's condition may lead to a medical malpractice claim. If you suffered from the results of a misdiagnosis, contact a medical malpractice attorney to see whether you are eligible for compensation. 

What You Need to Know About Missed Diagnosis in Relation to Medical Malpractice

Missed diagnosis is one of the substantial cases a medical malpractice claim may hang upon. It occurs when a physician misdiagnoses or overlooks a disease or condition that they should have diagnosed, and as a result, the patient suffers adverse effects. A missed diagnosis can be detrimental to the health and well-being of the patient and can result in severe consequences for doctors and medical professionals, including legal liabilities. 

Reasons for Missed Diagnosis 

There are various reasons why missed diagnoses occur, including:

• Overreliance on medical expertise and experience – Sometimes, medical practitioners, including doctors, having attained advanced levels of experience and training over the years, may rely excessively on that experience that leads them to suspect a specific condition being present in a patient, without having exhausted all possible diagnoses that could be relevant to the situation.

• Systemic problems within the medical examiner’s office – In some cases, medical examiners may sustain an unrealistic workload or deliver deflated resources to workers, resulting in systemic failure, disregarding patient care, and oversights diagnosis and treatment stages.

In addition, there may be human factors that cause a medical professional to misdiagnose, including:

• Fatigue – Of course, doctors are humans too and are susceptible to fatigue, especially when required to work long and grueling hours.

• Miscollection of data – Inaccurate or inadequate data collected by a doctor could lead to a wrong diagnosis.

• Avoidance of procedure – In some cases, medical workers could avoid a necessary test because they may believe it will be too difficult to interpret.

Contact a South Side of Chicago Medical Malpractice Attorney 

Victims of medical malpractice may be entitled to compensation for medical bills, lost wages from missed work, pain and suffering, and other damages. 

If you or someone you love has been negatively affected by a medical misdiagnosis, contact the Hyde Park medical malpractice lawyers with Kadzai Law Group, LLC. Call 312-229-0050 for a free consultation. 

Source - https://www.forbes.com/advisor/legal/medical-malpractice/medical-malpractice-lawsuit/