Twelve million adults who seek outpatient care are misdiagnosed annually, according to a new study published in the journal BMJ Quality and Safety. This equates to 1 in every 20 adult patients. Researchers indicate that, although “it is unknown how many patients will be harmed from diagnostic errors,” half of those misdiagnosed will likely result in severe harm to the patient. In an interview with NBC News, Dr. Gordon Schiff, a patient safety expert at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, stated that while this study is good because it provides hard numbers, it likely underestimates the number of failed diagnoses.
Lead author of the study, Dr. Hardeep Singh, examined a variety of factors that may contribute to these medical errors. Among these factors are problems ordering diagnostic tests, errors made by a doctor in interpreting test results, and the limited time doctors spend with patients. One 2013 study, undertaken by the National Coalition on Health Care along with Best Doctors, Inc., indicated that other factors contributing to misdiagnosis rates include fragmented medical records and time-strapped doctors who do not have enough time for patients. Whether it be private doctors who are maximizing appointments in order to generate more revenue or hospital doctors who are faced with increasingly crowded emergency rooms, reports indicate that patient-doctor interaction lasts just seven minutes.
Failing to diagnose some medical conditions, such as cancer, can have catastrophic results. According to the Journal of Clinical Oncology, misdiagnosis of some types of cancer reach up to 44% of patients. In particular, doctors are often likely to misdiagnose cancer in young adults, based on the misguided assumption that cancer is a disease only found in older people.
In order to minimize risks of misdiagnosis, patients should explain their full medical history to their doctor, including family history. Patients should also follow up with their physician. Simply not hearing anything does not necessarily mean there is not a problem.
However, no matter how vigilant you may be, misdiagnosis may still occur. The longer a condition goes without diagnosis, the longer the patient must wait until properly treated. This delay may result in severe harm, which otherwise might have been avoided.
Fortunately, legal recourse is available for those patients misdiagnosed and harmed as a result. Anyone who believes their condition may have been misdiagnosed or improperly handled is highly encouraged to seek additional medical support or advice and learn more about their right to file suit against a medical professional who may have been in error.
