Fairfax, VA Medical Misdiagnosis Lawyer

Experienced Misdiagnosis Attorneys Pursuing Justice for Injured Patients in Fairfax, Virginia

A diagnosis is crucial to ensure that a person can receive the right medical care. Treatment recommendations, prescriptions, medical procedures, and follow-up plans from doctors will be based on their understanding of a patient's condition. When a doctor reaches the wrong conclusions, fails to recognize a condition, or takes too long to identify the cause of a patient's symptoms, the patient can suffer serious harm.

When a patient trusts their doctor with their health, but the doctor makes errors that should have been prevented if they had diagnosed a condition correctly, the patient may be able to address this issue through a medical malpractice claim. At Shevlin Smith, P.C., our attorney can review medical records and other information to determine why a misdiagnosis occurred, and he can take steps to hold a medical provider responsible for their negligence.

How an Incorrect Diagnosis Can Lead to the Wrong Treatment

When a doctor reaches an incorrect diagnosis, a patient's treatment plan may be built on a false foundation. The patient will receive treatment for a condition they do not have, and they may take medications or undergo procedures that have risks and side effects, without receiving any benefit.

At the same time, a patient's actual condition will go untreated. Their disease may continue to progress, and the failure to receive the proper treatment may result in serious health issues that may be more difficult to treat later.

How a Delayed Diagnosis Can Harm a Patient

Even if a doctor eventually reaches the correct diagnosis, delays during the process can lead to serious harm. A medical condition may be more manageable when it is identified and treated at an early stage. When a diagnosis comes weeks, months, or years after a condition should have been recognized, a patient's condition may deteriorate, and fewer treatment options may be available.

The relationship between a delayed diagnosis and harm to a patient may be seen in cancer cases. When cancer is detected at an early stage, it may be treatable with surgery or other forms of therapy, and a patient may have a good chance of treating the disease effectively. However, if cancer is not detected until it reaches a later stage, chemotherapy, radiation, or more extensive surgery may be needed, and a patient's prognosis may be less positive.

Delayed diagnosis can also be dangerous when patients experience medical emergencies or conditions that require care to be provided within small timeframes. If a stroke is not recognized and treatment is not provided within a narrow window of time, a patient may experience permanent neurological damage. A heart attack that is not identified may cause damage to the heart that can become worse until the proper treatment is provided. An infection that is not recognized and treated may lead to sepsis, which can be life-threatening.

The Consequences of Failure to Diagnose

A doctor may examine a patient and fail to identify a condition at all. This can leave the patient without any diagnosis, and they may not receive the treatment they need. This issue can occur when a doctor dismisses a patient's symptoms, believing that issues such as stress or anxiety were responsible. A failure to diagnose may also occur if a doctor fails to order diagnostic tests or orders the appropriate tests but fails to follow up on the results.

Why Doctors Misdiagnose Patients

A diagnostic error may be considered medical malpractice if a doctor failed to follow the correct procedures when examining a patient and assessing their condition. If another doctor with a similar level of experience would have diagnosed a condition correctly in the same situation, the doctor who made a misdiagnosis may be held liable for their negligence. Issues that can lead doctors to make incorrect diagnoses include:

Failure to Review Medical History

A patient's prior medical conditions, family history, medications, allergies, symptoms, and other information should all be reviewed by a doctor. When a doctor does not fully consider the medical history that may play a role in a patient's health, or when they do not ask the questions needed to fully understand a patient's situation, they may reach the wrong conclusions.

Cognitive Bias

Doctors may be affected by biases in ways that they may not recognize. A doctor may form a hypothesis early when evaluating a patient, and any additional information may be viewed through the lens of that hypothesis rather than considering other explanations. In some cases, doctors may be more likely to consider diagnoses they have encountered recently or that they often see in other patients while overlooking other possibilities. They may look for information that supports their initial conclusions while failing to consider conflicting findings.

Inadequate Examinations

A thorough examination is crucial to reach a correct diagnosis. A doctor who only performs a brief examination or who does not address specific complaints made by a patient may miss important details that would have helped them diagnose a condition correctly.

Failure to Consult With Other Professionals or Refer Patients to Specialists

Some issues may fall outside the level of knowledge and experience of a general practitioner. A patient may need to be evaluated by a specialist to address specific medical concerns. A doctor who does not consult with a qualified professional to address certain issues or who fails to refer a patient to the appropriate specialist may reach incorrect conclusions about a patient's diagnosis.

Systemic Factors

In some cases, issues such as time pressure, errors in electronic health record systems, high patient volumes, and problems with communication within medical offices may lead to diagnostic failures. In these cases, a medical practice or facility may be held responsible for issues that prevented a patient from receiving the correct diagnosis and treatment.

Contact Our Fairfax Misdiagnosis Attorney

A misdiagnosis, delayed diagnosis, or failure to diagnose can lead to serious injuries when patients do not receive the treatment required to address their health issues. At Shevlin Smith, P.C., our attorney can help clients demonstrate that they were harmed by diagnostic errors, and he will work to obtain compensation for the damages that have occurred in these situations. Contact our Fairfax, VA misdiagnosis injury lawyer at 703-591-0067 to set up a free consultation.