What to Do After a Suspected Misdiagnosis

We trust doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals with our lives, but sometimes, they get things wrong. If your doctor has diagnosed you incorrectly, it could lead to worsening symptoms, higher costs, and greater stress in your life overall. 

You owe it to yourself to seek a correct diagnosis and compensation.

What exactly are you supposed to do if you suspect a misdiagnosis?

The Consequences of Misdiagnosis

Misdiagnosis, under some circumstances, is a form of medical malpractice. If a doctor or nurse was negligent in their diagnosis, such as by ignoring certain details or not leveraging all the resources available to them, they may be liable for whatever harm they cause as a result of that improper diagnosis.

The consequences of misdiagnosis depend on the circumstances. If you were diagnosed with an incorrect illness, your true illness may have been allowed to spread, propagate, and worsen your symptoms. If you weren’t diagnosed at all, and you should have been, you may not have access to the treatments necessary to become better. Additionally, if you’re diagnosed with something incorrectly and you’re prescribed treatments for it, those treatments can hurt you or cost you dearly.

Rationally Analyzing Your Position

If you suspect you’ve been misdiagnosed, take a step back and try to rationally analyze your position. This is a difficult matter, and generally an emotional one, but you’ll be in a much better position to make good decisions if you can think clearly, calmly, and objectively.

·         Symptoms. Pay attention to your current symptoms. Do they seem to line up with what you were diagnosed with? Do they seem to line up with other diseases or ailments that you were not diagnosed with? Do they seem to be improving with treatment, or do they seem to be getting worse? Did your doctor or medical provider consider all your symptoms when they gave you this diagnosis, or did they ignore some?

·         The proposed diagnosis explanation. Good doctors and nurses make it a point to communicate clearly with their patients. After diagnosing you, they should explain what you’ve been diagnosed with and the rationale for diagnosing you with it. You may not have a significant body of medical knowledge or experience to work with, but you may have a gut feeling about whether this rationale makes sense or not.

·         Competing possibilities. Doctors often have to provide a differential diagnosis, in part because certain symptoms are associated with many different conditions. If there were many likely candidates for your specific condition, do some digging to consider them more actively. Are there any conditions that seem to make more sense?

·         Outside opinions. This is also a good time to seek outside opinions. Do some research online, talk to any medically knowledgeable people you know, and definitely get a second opinion from another medical provider.

·         Consequences of the diagnosis. Finally, thoroughly document any consequences that may have arisen because of the initial diagnosis. Are your symptoms getting worse, or have you had an adverse reaction to any of the treatments?

What to Do After a Suspected Misdiagnosis

If you suspect a misdiagnosis, these are the most important steps to follow:

·         Gather evidence. The first step of the process is to gather as much evidence as you can. Keep records of all your appointments and who provided the diagnosis. Write down what the doctor said to you as precisely as possible. Keep a journal to document your symptoms, as well as any treatments you’ve undergone.

·         Talk to a lawyer. After you start gathering evidence, your next priority is to talk to a lawyer, who can direct you further on gathering more evidence. Your lawyer will help you understand the elements of medical malpractice and guide you through the next steps of the process if you have a legitimate claim.

·         Get a second opinion. A second opinion can provide a great explanation and context for your initial diagnosis. If multiple doctors and healthcare providers agree on a diagnosis, you’ll get some peace of mind and you can abandon your medical malpractice claim. Otherwise, a second opinion can be great evidence that you were misdiagnosed initially.

·         Consider filing a medical malpractice claim. Work with your lawyer to review all the evidence you currently have and decide whether it makes sense to file a medical malpractice claim. If you do file one, you may be entitled to compensation.

A misdiagnosis might be a temporary convenience, or it might be devastating to your health. Either way, you owe it to yourself to get a second opinion, talk to a lawyer, and consider all your options before moving forward. Depending on the circumstances, you may be entitled to compensation, but at the very least, you should be entitled to proper medical care.