Differences Between Misdiagnosis and Missed Diagnosis
Misdiagnosis is sometimes confused with a missed diagnosis. When a medical professional misdiagnoses a patient, they incorrectly identify the condition and may prescribe inappropriate treatment, potentially causing harm or delaying the correct treatment. On the other hand, a missed diagnosis happens when a medical professional fails to identify any condition at all. The patient is not diagnosed with a condition they actually have, resulting in no treatment and potentially allowing the condition to progress unchecked.
Frequently Misdiagnosed Conditions
Some conditions are more frequently misdiagnosed than others. The most commonly misdiagnosed conditions in Ohio include:
- Cancers (including breast, colorectal, lung, and prostate)
- Pneumonia
- Stroke
- Pulmonary embolism
- Sepsis
Potential Causes of Misdiagnosis
Misdiagnoses can occur for a variety of reasons, including:
- Atypical symptom presentations
- Failure to order appropriate tests due to cost, time constraints, or misjudgment
- Misinterpretation of test results
- Incomplete medical histories
- Physician/healthcare provider misjudgment
- Communication breakdowns between healthcare providers
- Systemic issues, such as understaffing or inadequate training