High numbers of disabilities caused by misdiagnosis

High numbers of disabilities and deaths caused by Misdiagnosis

Medical errors are the third-leading cause of death after heart disease and cancer. Every year, roughly 200,000 people die from medical mistakes or hospital infections that could have been prevented with better care had they not existed in the first place - this is more than car accidents (130,000 annually) and suicides (100,000 annually), combined.

A study conducted by Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and appearing in the journal Diagnosis, data confirm that an inaccurate diagnosis is responsible for 40,000 to 80,000 deaths each year. Data confirm that an inaccurate diagnosis is the number one cause of serious medical errors - resulting in 12 million Americans suffering a diagnostic error each year in primary care settings—33% according to research from Harvard Medical Center.

Medical error has become a leading killer due to poor patient management practices like lacking of organization of work and information; staffing patterns, time and workflow adjustments; technical and human errors; different or inadequate policies; or even patient-related issues. 

Prevalence of Misdiagnosis in US Hospital

The frequency occurence of misdiagnosis is concerningly high, based on the results of study conducted by Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, funded by the Society to Improve Diagnosis in Medicine, on these last few years that it may impose some kind of assessment of bad quality of medical service or it may be the lacking man power or even the knowledge. By the statistics shows as:

• The study started with 55,000 malpractice claims to observe upon, and of those diagnostic errors causing the most risk, 74.1% were accounted to solely three categories— cancer (37.8%), vascular events (22.8%) and infection (13.5%).

• Among the 12 million patients that suffer diagnositc error yearly, 88% of the sample sought second opinion or reexamination that resulted in 66% redefined diagnosis, 21% completely changed and 12% of the sample were only confirmed or correct. 

Common Reasons for Misdiagnosis according to DocPanel:

• Evaluation and interpretation errors due to a non specialist to a field was incharge of such or doctors themselves committed mistake in interpretation. 

• Following test and laboratories were not ordered by the physician. 

• Technological errors are oftentimes the reason.

And can lead to to unnecessary treatments and medications which leads to unneeded increase in cost of medication and whole supposed treatment, stress, or at a specific extent, death as 28% of misdiagnoses are fatal according to studies. 

What can a victim of misdiagnosis can do?

A patient-doctor relationship should be observed and proven as well, which is the most basic and serves as a pillar of all medical malpractice claims. Chances of desertion of a claim would be fairly high when there is no proven transaction or deed of service (payment received, service made) being shown by the medical provider. Beforehand, it is still optimal to keep receipts and bills as a proof of any transaction. 

A patient/victim trying to prove misdiagnosis must validate that an alternate doctor in the same or similar specialty would not have made such an error unlike the doctor that you were under on specific time frame. The plaintiff will have to demonstrate that the defendant did not include all possible diagnoses on their list of potential illnesses and injuries and compare with the results and data that the second doctor provided, which is misleading because any competent physician should be able to provide legitimate medical reasons for diagnosing with other diseases as well.

Medical malpractice lawsuits are a type of personal injury suit that can help you get the compensation and justice you deserve. Hiring an attorney is highly recommended as they are knowledgeable on how to gather evidence, build your case for damages, prepare witnesses for trial and negotiate with insurance companies or other parties responsible.

Most medical professionals—including nurses, urgent care center staff, specialists and surgeons - can be held liable for their errors. Call Ryan LLP if you suspect that your doctor has committed a serious mistake that contributed to your injury or illness. We're not afraid of the competition; we have been helping people in this area for more than 40 years rendering as one of the most experienced law firm in Cleveland to help you award your wanted compensation pay to cover extra damages bills.