A recent study looked at the discovery of previous misdiagnoses during second opinions. The study was by the Mayo Clinic. In the study, researchers reviewed hundreds of instances in which a patient received a diagnosis from their primary care provider and then sought a second opinion from the internal medicine department of the Mayo Clinic. The researchers looked at how the second opinion compared to the initial diagnosis.
]]> The study found that, in a majority of the cases, the second opinion and the initial diagnosis partially matched. Meanwhile, in 12 percent of the cases, there was a full match between the two. Finally, in 21 percent of the cases, the second opinion came to a conclusion that was "distinctly different" from the initial diagnosis.Now, these findings dealt with a very specific patient population, and thus don't paint a complete picture of the accuracy of initial diagnoses. However, the findings do fall in line with other research that indicates that misdiagnoses aren't terribly uncommon.
The findings also underscore the important role that second opinions can play for individuals who have been diagnosed with a serious condition.
Now, when a person discovers (through a second opinion or other means) that they were misdiagnosed, many pieces of information can be critical.
It can be very important to determine the effects of the misdiagnosis. Some misdiagnoses end up having relatively minor impacts on a patient. Others expose their victims to serious harm or death. It can also be critical to identify the cause of the misdiagnosis. Some missed diagnoses are just the result of the difficulties of the diagnostic process. Others, however, come about through mistakes by doctors. Arizonans who received an incorrect diagnosis can go to skilled medical malpractice lawyers for help with uncovering these important details. Such lawyers can also provide such individuals with explanations of what impacts these details have on their legal options.
Source: The Washington Post, "20 percent of patients with serious conditions are first misdiagnosed, study says," Lenny Bernstein, April 4, 2017
]]>The U.S. has seen quite of bit of growth in the use of this health care technology in recent years. Telemedicine programs have been implemented all over the country, including here Arizona. Arizona has several such programs.
]]> It is predicted that telemedicine will continue to grow here in America. It will be interesting to see how big of a part such health care technology comes to play in everyday patient care in the future.As telemedicine grows, there are some important issues to consider. This includes patient safety concerns. For one, telemedicine could raise some unique issues when it comes to how to prevent medical errors, such as missed diagnoses. One hopes that all hospitals that are moving towards telemedicine will take the necessary steps to ensure patient safety is properly protected in telemedicine programs.
Also, telemedicine gives rise to its own sets of legal issues, such as:
It will be interesting to see how the medical malpractice frameworks in the different states will adjust to the rise of telemedicine. As medical technologies and legal frameworks evolve, skilled malpractice attorneys can help patients stay informed of their rights.
Source: Arizona Capitol Times, "Telemedicine catches on, offers glimpse into health care's future," Pete Pichaske, March 31, 2017
]]>The case was brought by a military veteran who has terminal cancer. Purportedly, 11 months after the man was seen by a nurse practitioner at a VA hospital in 2011, his cancer was detected. The man brought a lawsuit arguing that the cancer should have been diagnosed sooner and that the hospital's failure to do so resulted in him not getting the treatment he needed while it was still curable.
]]> The judge decided the case in favor of the veteran. The judge ruled that more testing should have been ordered by the nurse practitioner who saw the man in 2011. The judge awarded the veteran millions of dollars in damages.As this case underscores, a common key issue in cases involving allegations of failure to diagnose cancer is what testing was performed on a patient. Many factors can play into what sort of medical testing should be performed in a given situation. Also, the tests must be executed and analyzed correctly. Skilled medical malpractice attorneys can help individuals who have received a late diagnosis of cancer look into whether testing mistakes or oversights were made during their care.
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