A recent study reveals that the incidence of misdiagnoses is higher than most imagined. According to the study published by the journal BMJ Quality and Safety more than 12 million adults are misdiagnosed each year.
Being misdiagnosed by your doctor can lead to devastating results. When you are misdiagnosed, you are not only not being treated for the condition you actually have, you are also being treated for a condition that you do not have, both of which can have a hugely detrimental effect on your health. In many cases, not being treated at all would be better than having the wrong treatment during a time when you are already unwell.
In fact, according to the study – 50% of these misdiagnoses lead to serious personal harm, including death. If you believe you have been harmed as the result of a misdiagnosis, its important to consult with a knowledgeable Los Angeles medical malpractice attorney as soon as possible. A skilled medical malpractice attorney can begin an investigation into all of the factors surrounding your medical case and help you obtain the compensation you deserve.
Misdiagnoses were noted in all different types of cases, including the failure to order the proper diagnostic tests and failures by doctors to interpret those results correctly.
One of the authors of the study concludes it is unknown how many patients will be harmed from diagnostic errors, our previous work suggests that about one-half of diagnostic errors have the potential to lead to severe harm," write the authors in their study. "While this is only an estimate and does not imply all those affected will actually have harm, this risk potentially translates to about 6 million outpatients per year."
If you believe you or a loved one may have been harmed as the result of medical misdiagnoses please contact our dedicated Los Angeles medical malpractice lawyers for an immediate consultation.
