Failure to Order Medical Tests and Misdiagnosis
The failure to order medical tests, ordering the wrong tests, or waiting too long to order tests can put the patient in harm’s way.
Ordering the necessary and appropriate medical tests is a vital part of many diagnostic processes. The failure to order medical tests, ordering the wrong tests, or waiting too long to order tests can put the patient in harm’s way. As such, a patient who suffered under their care has the right to file a medical malpractice lawsuit to recover compensation. Failure to order medical tests is a common among medical malpractice cases concerning a diagnostic error. If you feel that you or a loved one was a victim of medical malpractice, contact the lawyers at The Law Offices of Cardaro & Peek today.
How Failure to Order Medical Tests Can Happen
While each case presents unique circumstances, there are a few common factors that indicate how or why diagnostic tests are not administered.
Poor Judgement
Sometimes, a doctor incorrectly determines that the patient’s present condition does not warrant further testing at the time. They may have already ordered one test and received the results, but fail to conduct additional medical tests to rule out other possible diagnoses before making their final determination. In other cases, the doctor may follow a mistaken hunch in the process of trying to diagnose their patient, and simply order the wrong test.
Disregarding Patient-Reported Symptoms
Failure to order medical tests can happen when doctors painly disregard patient-reported symptoms or disregard their relevance to the patient’s current health issue. For example, consider a patient who complains of persistent or severe headaches, yet the doctor fails to order a CT or MRI scan of the head and brain. Later on, the doctor may discover a brain tumor in that same patient. Or, a patient may visit the emergency room with shortness of breath and rapid pulse, and the emergency room physician determines she is experiencing anxiety-related issues instead of testing her for a heart attack. Such occurrences are not uncommon and may constitute a breach of the standard of care.
Not Knowing Enough to Require More Testing
Radiology or laboratory errors, such as the delay or misinterpretation of medical imaging or test results, could prevent a doctor from having sufficient knowledge to require additional or different testing. The decision to order medical tests should not be made lightly, but not taking prompt diagnostic action leaves the patient at risk of worsening health conditions.
Not Following Up on Routine Screenings
Routine screenings like pap smears and prostate exams help detect signs of abnormalities to identify health problems in early stages. If the results show anything concerning, the doctor should contact the patient, and take steps to conduct further testing or refer their patient to a specialist.
Multiple Medical Professionals Could Be Responsible
In the situations described above, it could be any number of medical professionals that commited the relevant deviation from the standard of care. Primary care physicians, specialists, laboratory technicians, emergency room physicians, radiologist technicians, etc. are all potentially at fault. Working with an experienced medical malpractice attorney to review your case can help identify who you should file a malpractice lawsuit against to hold the correct medical professional responsible for their actions.
Contact The Law Offices of Cardaro & Peek, LLC Today
Do you believe that you or your loved one has suffered as a result of medical malpractice or medical neglect? You need to talk to an experienced team of local lawyers today.
The lawyers at Cardaro & Peek, LLC have the experience and resources necessary to investigate and litigate all types of medical claims throughout Maryland and Washington D.C. Cardaro & Peek, LLC has medical personnel on staff and has access to nationally recognized, board-certified physicians and other experts, to assist in the investigation, analysis, and prosecution of all types of medical malpractice claims. If you or a loved one have experienced malpractice, give us a call at 410-752-6166. Please visit our website www.cardarolaw.com and follow us on Facebook , Twitter , and LinkedIn for more information.
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