When you have a serious medical condition, your prognosis and treatment options are going to vary based on many factors. Your doctor’s ability to promptly pinpoint what is ailing you is among them. However, medical misdiagnosis occurs more often than you may think across Texas and the rest of the United States and the repercussions of it are often devastating.
According to AARP, about one out of every five patients who visit their primary care doctors receive inaccurate diagnoses upon doing so.
How often medical misdiagnosis occurs
The survey that determined that 20% of patients with serious conditions receive inaccurate medical diagnoses involved almost 300 patients who first sought treatment from their general practitioners. The survey also determined that only 12% of patient participants received accurate medical diagnoses the first time around. It also revealed that an alarming 66% of patients surveyed received partially inaccurate diagnoses that needed updating later on. Studies also show a clear link between misdiagnosis and patient deaths. Research indicates that medical misdiagnosis contributes to about 10% of all patient fatalities.
Why medical misdiagnosis occurs
Diagnosing a medical condition presents challenges given that there are only between about 200 and 300 symptoms to indicate thousands of possible diseases and conditions. Also, many doctors have full schedules that allow for minimal time with each patient. This, too, contributes to the high rate of medical misdiagnosis in America. Misdiagnosis is also a common result when physicians misread scans or test results.
If you wish to file a medical malpractice claim in Texas that alleges misdiagnosis, you must do so within a particular timeframe. Otherwise, you surrender your right to do so.
