A misdiagnosis can leave you feeling confused and worried about your health. That’s why determining whether your misdiagnosis resulted in a serious medical error is so important, as this can affect your ability to pursue compensation for health care provider negligence.
Misdiagnoses can be serious
When you put your trust in the hands of medical professionals, you expect to receive appropriate care, and accurate advice and guidance. However, if you receive a misdiagnosis, their actions can cause you to pursue unnecessary or ineffective treatments. In some cases the wrong treatments can worsen your condition. According to the National Institutes of Health, about 5.7% of patients receive a medical misdiagnosis each year.
A misdiagnosis can become more than an accident
While not all misdiagnoses result in serious medical errors, those that do often have something in common: they stem from a provider’s failure to meet expected care standards. These standards refer to the level of skill, care, and treatment that a reasonably competent medical professional would provide in similar circumstances. When a health care provider’s misdiagnosis results in a serious medical error, it is often because the provider failed to:
- Look at critical information
- Order necessary tests
- Correctly interpret test results
Unfortunately, this type of negligence can result in significant harm.
How patients can establish liability
To prove that your health care provider is responsible for your misdiagnosis and the issues it causes you, you must show how their actions are directly correlated to you seeking harmful or ineffective treatment for your condition. This can involve comparing your care to what is typically expected from medical professionals in similar situations. If you discover that there is a significant deviation, your health care provider may be at fault.
What to do if you suspect a misdiagnosis
If you suspect a misdiagnosis, it’s important to act quickly. Collect medical records, get a second opinion, and track your symptoms, diagnoses, and treatments. Reviewing this documentation can help you determine if a medical error occurred.
You don’t have to do this alone, you can seek the help and guidance of a seasoned Chicago medical malpractice attorney. They can help you gather all of the documentation you need and file a claim in a timely and accurate manner.