8 Types of Misdiagnosis

According to a study found in BMJ Quality & Safety, diagnostic errors may affect as many as 12 million adults in the United States. When it comes to a misdiagnosis that results in medical malpractice, it is important to look at the various types of misdiagnosis which are possible.

The following are the most common types of misdiagnosis:

  1. Wrong diagnosis – Also known simply as misdiagnosis, this is when the doctor chooses the wrong illness or injury.
  2. Delayed diagnosis – After a substantial delay, the doctor eventually makes the correct diagnosis.
  3. Missed diagnosis – The doctor informs the patient that they are in great shape and health; however, the patient actually has a disease or illness.
  4. Failure to recognize complications – The doctor makes the correct diagnosis, but fails to determine complications or factors which aggravate or change the condition or illness.
  5. Failure to diagnose a related disease – The doctor diagnoses one disease correctly, but fails to diagnose a related condition which often goes hand-in-hand with the main disease.
  6. Failure to diagnose an unrelated disease – The doctor diagnoses one disease correctly, but fails to diagnose an unrelated second condition.
  7. Failure to diagnose underlying disease – The disease you are diagnosed with is actually caused by another disease, which turns out to be the real disease while the first one is just a symptom.
  8. Wrong subtype diagnosis – While the overall diagnosis is correct, you may still be diagnosed with a wrong subtype of the disease.

If you suffered a further injury or illness due to a negligent healthcare provider in Pennsylvania, contact our Philadelphia personal injury lawyer at Golomb Legal, P.C. today.

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