Most of us will have some sort of medical issue that requires treatment at some point in our lives. As a result, we will need to rely on doctors and other trained medical professionals to diagnose our condition, recommend treatment, prescribe medication, and perform procedures to give us the best chance at recovery.
When a New Jersey doctor fails to adhere to the standards of care required for their profession, they may cause additional harm to the patients they are supposed to be helping. If you have been harmed due to medical negligence, you may file a claim for damages against those responsible for your medical care.
Diagnostic errors cause additional harm to patients
The first step to recovering from a medical crisis often the diagnosis of the condition. Physicians generally must first examine their patients and create a differential diagnosis, or a list of all possible conditions based on the patient’s symptoms, medical history, and other information. Then, they must rule out each condition by performing various medical tests and procedures until they determine what is causing the problem.
When a doctor fails to properly diagnose a condition, the patient may experience additional harm that they would not have experienced if they had received a timely, accurate diagnosis. Errors in diagnosis include:
- Delayed diagnosis: Physician fails to diagnose the condition in a timely fashion.
- Misdiagnosis: Physician diagnoses patient with the wrong condition.
- Failure to diagnose: Physician mistakenly determines that the patient does not need medical care.
Failure to run the appropriate tests, waiting too long to run a test, failing to recognize symptoms, or ignoring patient concerns could result in a delayed diagnosis or incorrect diagnosis. Without the proper diagnosis, the correct treatment could be delayed, causing additional harm to the patient.
If your doctor failed to properly diagnose your medical condition, you may be able to file a claim against them for medical malpractice. An attorney can review your case and determine what harm you suffered because of the doctor’s mistakes.