In the medical setting, diagnostic errors can be very detrimental to a patient’s health. These errors tend to come in three different ways. The diagnosis can be missed entirely, the person can get the wrong diagnosis from their doctor, or that diagnosis may be delayed.
It’s clear that an overlooked diagnosis can be harmful to your health or that a wrong diagnosis could cause all sorts of problems. But why is it that a delayed diagnosis is also dangerous?
You may not get proper treatment in time
For one thing, a delayed diagnosis means you have to live with the condition for longer. Your condition may deteriorate or you may run into other complications that make it very serious. If the doctor would have acted quickly and gotten it right the first time, then your situation wouldn’t have been as problematic.
There are also situations in which a delay can make it impossible for you to get the treatment that you need in time for it to be effective. An example of this is If you’re diagnosed with cancer. Cancer is easiest to treat when it is in the early stages and confined to one part of the body. A delayed diagnosis may mean that the cancer has gotten to a more advanced stage and it has spread to other body parts. By the time the doctors figure this out, they may not be able to offer the same treatment options that they would have before.
If you believe that you haven’t gotten proper medical care for any reason, be sure you know exactly what options you have to seek compensation.
