A 45-year old man goes to the doctor and complains of chest pain. The doctor listens to the patient’s heartbeat and orders an EKG. Both are normal, the doctor reports.

What happens next can mean the difference between life and death. Sometimes the doctor, after conducting a thorough examination and review of symptoms, may order additional testing to determine whether the patient has a medical problem. Or he may assure the patient that everything is fine. If the patient is indeed in good health, all is well, either way. But if the patient has a serious heart condition that is goes undiagnosed for a period of time—or is missed altogether (due to routine scheduling, for example), the consequences can be deadly.

Sadly, it seems that everyone knows of someone who had a heart attack or learned they had advanced cancer a month after receiving a clean bill of health. The shock is emotionally devastating, and the physical consequences may be deadly.

A skilled physician uses a number of tools to reach a diagnosis, including medical history, physical examination, and clinical testing. Still, mistakes happen. According to the results of a survey published in October 2006 in Annals of Internal Medicine, the leading causes of misdiagnosis and delayed diagnosis are

• doctor error
• failure to order appropriate diagnostic tests
• lack of appropriate follow-up
• inadequate history and/or physical examination
• incorrect interpretation of tests

Failure to diagnose a serious medical condition may delay crucial, life-saving treatment. Unnecessary or premature death and serious, permanent impairment are among the potential consequences of a delayed or missed diagnosis. Diseases and conditions for which diagnoses are commonly missed or delayed are breast cancer, lung cancer, colorectal cancer and heart attack.

If you or a loved one has been denied appropriate treatment as the result of a failure to diagnose a serious medical condition, contact our office immediately. Failure to take prompt action could jeopardize a potential claim.