Missed diagnosis, the failure to catch a health condition that you have, is one type of medical malpractice in Indiana. Approximately 5% of diagnoses are either incorrect or missed. If the doctor should have reasonably caught the disorder or disease, then you could have a medical malpractice case. Indiana has a statute of limitations for medical malpractice of two years. You could reduce your chance of experiencing harmful effects from a missed diagnosis by catching it early on.
Keep a health journal
One way of preventing problems with a missed diagnosis and medical malpractice is to keep a health journal. You could log the symptoms you experience each day and mark the date that you started a particular treatment. If your symptoms don’t improve with treatment, then it’s possible that you weren’t diagnosed correctly.
See a specialist
If your symptoms have continued despite following your treatment plan, you could ask your doctor to refer you to a specialist. You may want to research the types of specialists that you can see for the area of the body that you have symptoms. For instance, if you’re having trouble with your bladder, then you may want to see a specialist who deals with the urinary or renal system.
Ask questions
Asking your doctor questions about your diagnosis and the problem you’re experiencing gives you important information to work with. A good question to ask is whether there is more than one condition that could be causing your symptoms. You may want to write down what the other possible conditions are so that you can consider those possibilities later if your symptoms don’t improve. Another issue you may want to bring up is what other symptoms you should watch out for. This will help you know if your condition is worsening.
Be assertive
Some doctors make the mistake of interrupting a patient while they’re explaining their symptoms. They might miss important information this way. Thus, you may want to ensure that you full express yourself to your doctor before they diagnose you.
Although there is no surefire way to prevent a missed diagnosis, you could reduce the risk by taking a proactive approach to your health care. Maintaining a health journal when you aren’t feeling well and throughout treatment gives you clarity and valuable information to use in finding the right diagnosis fast.