Failure to Diagnose/Delayed Diagnosis
Failing to diagnose a disease or condition may be a result of medical malpractice. It is the responsibility of your doctor to use due care to make a proper diagnosis and to provide proper and appropriate testing and follow-up care. In certain situations, such as cancer, failing to diagnose or delay in diagnosis may greatly increase the chance of permanent damage and/or reduce the chance of survival or cure.
There are many factors that may lead to a doctor failing to diagnose. These include, but are not limited to:
- Misinterpreted lab results
- Misread x-rays
- Lost or switched lab results
- Failure to refer patient to a correct specialist
- Procedure performed incorrectly or use of the incorrect procedure
- Failure to take an appropriate or complete medical history or failure to recognize a patient's presenting symptoms
- Inadequate differential diagnosis
- Failure to send for appropriate testing