Medical errors are rampant across the nation, and New York City can be no exception to it. Patients want to be cured fully when they visit a physician or a hospital. But many of them do not realize that they have become the victim of misdiagnosis at the very initial stage of treatment. Such medical malpractice is a very serious issue that needs to be addressed effectively.
Misinterpretation of clinical pathology reports by physicians has become a serious concern for the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The agency is looking for the approval of a new reporting system that may considerably reduce the medical errors that result in misdiagnosis.
The new reporting system would make pathologists and clinical laboratories aware of the physicians’ error resulting from misinterpretation of a lab test report. As many such cases go unnoticed, the proposed reporting system may put a cap on diagnosis errors that occur due to incorrect review of clinical laboratory results.
Incorrect review of a pathological test report may result in serious repercussions. It may lead to false conclusions causing wrong diagnosis of illness or disease. Diagnosis is the most important stage of medical treatment. If the illness is not diagnosed correctly by the doctor or physician, it may result in administering wrong prescriptions or treatment.
Doctors owe a duty to be very diligent and careful while diagnosing a case. Patients may have to suffer painful and dangerous consequences if their illness is not diagnosed properly. Harmful side effects, organ damage, prolonged illness or a disability may be the outcome of misdiagnosis. In some cases patients may die due to inappropriate or delayed treatment resulting from incorrect detection of illness.
Victims of misdiagnosis or their family members can hold the negligent doctor or hospital responsible for the damage due to wrong diagnosis. They can file a medical malpractice lawsuit for compensation of medical expenses, disability, lost income and pain and suffering.
Source: Dark Daily, “Could Patient-Error Reports Cause Pathologists To Be Responsible for Other Providers’ Mistakes?” Joseph Burns, Dec. 31, 2012