What to Do If You Are Medically Misdiagnosed
If you’ve been diagnosed with a disease or other condition, it can be life-changing. It means you might have to take certain medications as well as adjust how you go about your daily business. But what if you’re changing everything based on a false diagnosis?
It happens perhaps more commonly than you think. In the UK, the NHS reportedly paid out more than a billion pounds in claims over a six-year period for those who have been misdiagnosed, and there are areas in the UK where a wrong diagnosis is more common.
Read on to learn more about what you can do if you’ve got a wrong medical diagnosis.
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Even if you have a good relationship with your primary care doctor or specialist, they can get it wrong. That’s because there are thousands of conditions known to the medical world, and some of them have overlapping symptoms. Even some of the most common health problems can be difficult to diagnose.
However, that doesn’t mean you need to take the diagnosis at face value. If you have been diagnosed but don’t feel the diagnosis or treatment is accurate, then you should seek the opinion of another doctor. Make sure you’re ready to explain in detail all of your symptoms, even ones that you might have omitted the first time.
Be sure to bring the results of any tests you’ve already had so the next doctor can have a look or avoid having to repeat it. If you’re still unsatisfied with a second opinion, you can strive for a third or even fourth.
Consider a Medical Misdiagnosis Claim
Because of the complexity of some health problems, it’s a given that a health team will get it wrong from time to time. However, it’s more about the thoroughness of the diagnosis and whether all the proper steps were taken to arrive at the diagnosis.
A misdiagnosis can lead to improper treatment, as well as no treatment at all. It can also cause undue emotional stress, especially if the diagnosis is for a life-threatening illness. At the same time, not getting the right treatment for your actual condition can also be dangerous as the condition can progress in the meantime.
In some cases, a patient may even undergo surgical procedures based on an incorrect diagnosis, or prescribed mediation with heavy side effects that won’t treat their illness.
If you’ve been misdiagnosed and it has led to a lack of treatment or the wrong treatment, including for cancer and sepsis, then you should find a specialist in misdiagnosis claims. In many cases, partnering with an experienced firm means you can resolve the case without having to take it to court.
Take Action If You’re Misdiagnosed
Medical misdiagnosis is quite common, and can severely impact your life if you’ve been given the wrong treatment or no treatment at all.
If you’ve been misdiagnosed by a doctor or specialist, you have some choices—namely, you can seek other medical opinions, or you can file a medical misdiagnosis claim with the help of a specialized firm.
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Amanda Byers is a graduate of Columbia, where she played volleyball and annoyed a lot of professors. Now as Zobuz’s entertainment and Lifestyle Editor, she enjoys writing about delicious BBQ, outrageous style trends and all things Buzz worthy.
