47% of Doctors Find Frequent Diagnostic Errors
As Indiana medical malpractice lawyers, we often find that misdiagnosis, wrong diagnosis and failure to diagnose are some of the most underestimated medical errors out there. A new survey by QuantiaMD finds that at least 47% of clinicians found these errors at least once over the past month. Besides, 62% of the clinicians believe that these errors may have caused harm to patients. More than 90% of the clinicians in the study also believe that many of these errors were preventable.
Most diagnostic errors that Indiana medical malpractice attorneys come across involve misdiagnosis of cancers, heart attacks, strokes, infections, cardiac diseases, and psychological disorders,. Some types of diseases are particularly susceptible to misdiagnosis. For instance, cancers are often misdiagnosed. When this happens, doctors may begin the wrong treatment or may leave the patient untreated, while the disease worsens. Some of the most frequent cancer misdiagnoses involve lung cancer and prostate cancer.
Most diagnostic errors are the result of
• Inadequate test results
• Incorrect interpretation of test results
• Inadequate interpretation of scans
• Lack of communication
• Incorrect interpretation of symptoms and signs of serious injuries
• Inadequate follow-up on test results
• Insufficient access to patient records and history
When it comes to preventing diagnostic errors, there are no simple solutions. The clinicians believe that changing physician thought processes may contribute to more accurate diagnosis. 75% also believe that using decision support tools and artificial intelligence aids could help minimize the risk of diagnostic errors.
