Chicago Injury Attorneys BlogTaking steps to reduce the risk of being misdiagnosed by a doctor
Although advancements have been made in medical care, doctors continue to misdiagnose patients at an alarming rate. In developed nations, as many as 15 percent of medical cases are not diagnosed properly, according to The American Journal of Medicine. Tens of thousands of people lose their lives in American hospitals on an annual basis because of this issue and far more suffer from a devastating injury.
When people are misdiagnosed, they can be exposed to unnecessary and even harmful health care. For example, misdiagnosed psychological issues could result in the prescription of dangerous drugs, whereas cancer misdiagnosis could cause someone to undergo needless chemotherapy. In addition, diagnostic errors can delay proper treatment, especially when people have a serious disease or fatal condition that has been diagnosed as a different illness.
Potential consequences of a misdiagnosis