Delayed or Missed Diagnosis

Delays in diagnosis can directly impact a patient’s chance of recovery and survival.  The earlier an illness is correctly diagnosed and treated, the better chance the patient has at recovery and survival.  The failure to diagnose health issues early can lead to more serious complications of the illness or even death.  Incorrect or delayed diagnosis of an illness can cause a doctor or other hospital personnel to fail to order necessary tests, to order the wrong tests, to misinterpret test results, to fail to act on abnormal results, or to choose an incorrect form of treatment or no treatment at all.  If a doctor fails to identify a treatable health condition and the condition became worse, the patient may have a medical malpractice claim for delayed diagnosis.

What Diagnoses are Missed and Why?

One study found that cancer was the most commonly missed diagnosis.  But patients with many types of illnesses have reported a delay in diagnosis or a missed diagnosis.  There are several steps in the process of diagnosing an illness.  In some cases, a proper diagnostic test is not performed.  Sometimes test results are not followed up adequately, or the doctor or nurse does not obtain adequate information from the patient or perform an adequate physical examination.  Also, doctors may incorrectly interpret results.