When it comes to dealing with a medical problem, you want to know you can trust your doctor’s diagnosis. Many times, your doctor relies on various tests and clinical reports to reach a diagnosis. What if these reports turn out wrong?
A recent report details a five-year study into medical claims involving radiological mistakes, and the data is eye-opening. It states that 80 percent of all malpractice claims stem from a problem with interpreting the results of radiology testing. This means that the root of almost all misdiagnosis cases come down to a misreading of these results.
Cancer missed
If you or someone you know is found to have cancer, you know how difficult the situation is. However, the news is worse when you find out that the cancer did not just form. In fact, a doctor or technician missed the tumor months prior during a routine screening or a sick visit.
Fatalities on the rise
When a doctor orders a test and the resulting report is incorrect, you can wind up in a dire situation. Your body is a ticking timebomb of sorts, and depending on the actual culprit, you may not have a ton of time for a course correction. In the cases where a misdiagnosis traces back to a misinterpretation of results, 80 percent end in death.
Changes in procedure
Medical facilities and practices need to adjust the diagnosing process. When a patient’s symptoms continue to manifest but test results do not indicate a problem, some doctors take the extra step to either go back and revisit the results or completely rerun the test. Doing this may prevent some fatalities.
When dealing with doctors and treatment, if things do not seem right, you may want to get another opinion. Medical mistakes occur that may render you seriously hurt, sick or even result in your death, and by then, it is too late.