Misdiagnosis & Late Diagnosis

Failure to diagnose: a practitioner may fail to identify elements of illness or disease when assessing your condition. If a delay in spotting any issue results in a patient’s health declining, there may be grounds for compensation.

Late diagnosis: with many forms of serious illness, it is imperative to begin treating a patient as early as possible. In the case of different forms of cancer, for instance, a late diagnosis can see palliative care become the only course of action where an earlier diagnosis may have been far more treatable.

Incorrect diagnosis: the wrong diagnosis can very often lead to the wrong treatment plan. It can cause medical complications and the patient’s underlying condition will likely fail to be addressed.

Misinterpretation of test results: a failure to properly analyse test results is a common route to a misdiagnosis. This can cover anything from blood tests and x-rays to endoscopies and biopsies.

Miscommunication with a patient: doctors are tasked with ensuring they communicate effectively with their patients so that there is no misunderstanding on their condition or treatment plan. Ascertaining a patient’s symptoms, for instance, is crucial to an accurate diagnosis.

Failure to identify a root cause: diagnosing the root cause to a patient’s ailment is vital in assessing their overall condition. If it goes undiscovered, a treatment cycle could finish prematurely.

Failure to identify a related or unrelated issue: sometimes a patient’s condition is impacted by more than one disease. It can be difficult for a practitioner to diagnose multiple illnesses, especially if they are unrelated, but a failure to do so can be hugely detrimental.

False positives and false negatives: naturally, if a healthcare provider diagnoses you with an illness you do not have – or fails to diagnose you with an illness you do have – it can have a huge impact on your condition. Either situation can lead to an inadequate treatment plan and may cause serious damage to your health.

Cancer misdiagnosis: cancer diagnoses are particularly tricky because they can cover such a broad range of symptoms. Uterine cancer, for instance, is a form that affects women’s reproductive systems and can cause immense pelvic and period pain. Because of the similarities between the symptoms, uterine cancer can sometimes be misdiagnosed as adenomyosis.

Leukemia misdiagnosis: a very dangerous subset of cancer misdiagnosis, blood cancer or leukemia may not be identified until the disease has progressed. Blood cancer misdiagnosis is particularly dangerous because of the speed at which your health can deteriorate.

Cystic Fibrosis late diagnosis: although they are rare, late diagnoses for adults with CF do occur. Oftentimes it comes as a relief for individuals who may have suffered with symptoms of CF for years prior to the eventual diagnosis.

Autism late diagnosis: as with CF, adults who are diagnosed with autism may have dealt with milder symptoms in the years preceding their diagnosis. An individual may have received an Asperger’s diagnosis which is now considered a form of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Autism diagnoses are complex given the spectrum that exists within the disorder – no two adults with autism share the exact same experience.

Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis misdiagnosis: PSC diagnoses require the expertise of a medical specialist, and some individuals go many years without an accurate diagnosis. It is a very uncommon, chronic disease that impacts bile ducts in the liver so many healthcare centres do not treat patients that suffer with PSC.

Down Syndrome misdiagnosis: individuals with mosaic Down syndrome are often misdiagnosed with the more common Trisomy 21 Down syndrome. Roughly 15% of those diagnosed with Trisomy 21 Down syndrome actually have mosaic Down syndrome.

Asthma misdiagnosis: given how widespread the condition is globally, it is quite common for asthma misdiagnosis to occur. Overdiagnosis can result in individuals receiving treatment for a condition they do not have, and underdiagnosis carries the risk of long-term symptoms going untreated.

Diabetes misdiagnosis: over one million American citizens are misdiagnosed with Type 2 diabetes every year. Because of the different forms of diabetes that can impact people, it is very common to find people diagnosed with the wrong type of diabetes.

Pulmonary Embolism misdiagnosis: one of the most commonly misdiagnosed medical conditions, PE constitutes the blockage of the pulmonary artery. Its misdiagnosis can have huge effects on patients as the damage untreated PE causes increases over time.