Failure to Diagnose is the Leading Reason Patients Sue Their Physicians

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According to one study, failures to diagnose are the leading reason patients file medical malpractice claims against their doctors. In a previous post, we wrote about the relationship between diagnostic errors and medical malpractice claims. However, this article from Live Science noted that failures to diagnose cancer and heart attacks are the leading types of diagnostic errors in adults. In children, the leading medical error which resulted in a malpractice claim concerned meningitis. The study also found that the most common outcome for these types of errors is patient death. Diagnostic errors occur due to many factors including miscommunication, inadequate testing, incomplete patient history, and radiological errors. Since these medical errors are often fatal, they are a national health concern.

Jared Green
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