It’s important to remember that doctors are human, too. Errors occur, and mistakes happen when even the best standards of care are practiced. So what causes a doctor to make an error? While every situation is unique, there are several factors that may contribute to a medical mistake.
1. Uninformed Patients
When you visit the doctor, they rely on the information that you provide in order to aid in their diagnosis of your ailment. If you do not provide accurate information or are unable to describe your symptoms accurately, even the most highly trained doctor could make an error.
2. Interruptions
You would think that when you visit your doctor, you would receive their undivided attention. The truth of the matter is that, just like any other job, there are interruptions. Too many knocks on the door or questions by staff while the doctor is trying to speak with you can quickly lead to a mistake.
3. Wrong Information
When you call the office to make an appointment, the receptionist will ask you the reason for your visit. You rely on the person on the other end of the line to put accurate information into the computer. What if they don’t? Your doctor may be led down the wrong path of thought if your chief complaint was entered incorrectly.
4. Narrowed Thinking
We all take shortcuts at our jobs. These shortcuts are learned through experience. Do you think doctors are above these actions? Maybe not. Consider that a doctor has heard symptoms like yours 100 times before you walked into the office. That doctor’s experience could have narrowed their range of thinking, causing them to fail to link your symptoms to something more serious.
5. Laboratory Mistakes
Sometimes it isn’t the doctor that makes the initial mistake, but the people running and reading your lab tests. When these results are reported incorrectly, your doctor could make an error without realizing it.
Medical mistakes can be minor. They can also be very serious. If you believe that you were misdiagnosed or injured due to a doctor’s error, you may have a medical malpractice case. Call our office today and let a member of our team review the details of your case at no cost to you. Call now.
