Medical practitioners have a duty to provide a standard level of care to their patients. To do this, they must examine their patients thoroughly and diagnose their medical condition. They can then prescribe their patients medicine or medical procedures to begin the healing process. Failing to do so could lead to worsening medical conditions and injuries.
When seeking medical help, does your doctor examine your symptoms and determine the best course of action to take? Understanding whether your doctor is taking the right steps to care for you is important. If your medical symptoms are not going away, your doctor may have failed a crucial step in your healing process. Here is what you should know:
Why your symptoms may be getting worse
If you have recently seen your doctor about a medical condition or injury and your condition is not getting better, you could be a victim of medical malpractice. Medical malpractice can begin as early as the diagnosis stage. There are two ways your doctor has failed you:
- Misdiagnosis: The first reason your symptoms are getting worse is that your doctor misdiagnosed you. A misdiagnosis can happen when a medical practitioner misunderstands what their patient is suffering from. This can happen if a doctor fails to understand medical reports or fails to examine a patient. As a result, a patient could be given the wrong medication or treatment, which could lead to worsening symptoms and medical complications.
- Failure to diagnose: Did your doctor dismiss your symptoms as normal aging? Were you told your symptoms were just the side effects of your other medications? Your doctor may have failed to diagnose you because they were not listening carefully, dismissive of a patient’s experience or simply not paying attention. A missed diagnosis happens when a medical practitioner does not diagnose a patient at all. This incompetence can cause the patient to suffer worsening symptoms.
Did your doctor fail to correctly diagnose your medical condition or injury? It may be time to learn about your legal options to recover compensation.