Misdiagnosis of Illness
Misdiagnosis Of Cancer And Other Medical Conditions
Doctors are human, and humans make mistakes. Sometimes doctors make mistakes when making a diagnosis: diagnosing the wrong condition or failing to diagnosis the problem at all. Sometimes a misdiagnosis makes the difference between life and death.
Most diseases are curable with early diagnosis and proper treatment. Many diseases become more serious and even incurable if proper treatment is delayed.
In 2006, the New York Times estimated that 20 percent of every diagnosis involving a fatal illness is misdiagnosed. Deaths from misdiagnosis are estimated at between 40,000 and 80,000 every year.
- diagnostic testing phase (44 percent)
- clinician assessment/interpretation errors (32 percent)
- history taking (10 percent)
- physical examination (10 percent),
- delay or errors in referrals or consultations (3 percent)
- Cancer
- Heart attack
- Stroke
- Blood clots
- Aortic dissection
- Meningitis
More About Misdiagnosis of Illness
Clark, Perdue & List
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