Being diagnosed with an illness like breast cancer can be an emotionally and physically taxing experience for the patient. An error made by the health care professional when evaluating the results of a diagnostic procedure could lead to a patient being misinformed, mistreated and potentially harmed. Findings from a recent study have indicated that this may be relevant to patients who rely on medical professionals to interpret the results of breast cancer biopsies for an accurate diagnosis.
New York patients and misdiagnosis
New York surgeon prevails in first of more than 250 lawsuits
Doctors, nurses and surgeons are supposed to be on the lookout for infections whenever a patient complains of pain. A doctor's failure to diagnose an infection can have catastrophic consequences, and injured patients or their families need to be aware of their rights under current medical malpractice law.
Study of medical malpractice claims establishes common errors
We continue to get a better understanding of the medical errors claimed against doctors in malpractice cases. A study recently completed looked at details on medical malpractice claims, including in New York, and revealed that the single biggest allegation of medical error is the failure to diagnose a disease, such as cancer or heart disease. The most frequently missed diagnoses according to the claims were cancer, heart attacks in adults, and meningitis in children.
