Study Says Rate of Diagnostic Mistakes Remains Worryingly High

When Maryland residents seek medical attention for an illness, condition or injury, they are expecting the staff and the facility to treat them with the utmost care.

This is particularly true when they need to be hospitalized. Still, given the number of stories in which a person is injured, becomes sick or loses their life because of a medical error, people are justifiably concerned.

The reason for that concern is apparent in a recent study. As researchers strive to identify why mistakes are made and prevent them, they are finding a worrying number of preventable mistakes.

Patients and their loved ones need to be aware of how often this happens and make sure there is a full investigation if there are unexpected complications that do not have an immediate explanation. Given the potential consequences of these errors, it is essential that people know their rights.

Study: Diagnostic mistakes are common

Researchers believe that out of every 14 hospital patients, one could be confronted with a diagnostic error that harms them. Using a major hospital in Boston for its analysis, the researchers looked at time-frames over slightly more than two years between 2019 and 2021.

They looked at nearly 700 random patients. The study suggests that 85% of the errors could have been prevented. The authors say it emphasizes how important it is for there to be greater oversight to stop these mistakes from happening.

Among the most common errors were patients getting pneumonia, suffering from kidney failure, heart failure, getting sepsis and showing low blood oxygen levels. Many of these issues stem from lack of monitoring, medication errors and a lack of proper hygiene. The outcomes ranged from minor to people losing their lives.

Not all outcomes – minor or major – were due to the diagnostic error. Of those, 154 patients were involved in 160 cases. The researchers found that 34 lost their lives within three months; 54 needed to go to intensive care; and 52 had complex medical problems. Eighty-four were categorized as “harmful” errors with 37 needing to go to intensive care and 18 dying.

Medical errors can cause extensive and permanent damage

People who have been harmed by a medical error whether it is a misdiagnosis, surgical error, medication error, birth injury or any other issue need to think about the ramifications. They can face lifelong pain and a radically changed future. Families can be left without a loved one if the mistake results in an untimely death.

A problem that frequently arises with a medical malpractice claim is that the case is not properly scrutinized and evidence is missed. People who think they or a loved one was harmed by a medical error must be cognizant of how to move forward. Having professional help can be one of the key factors in determining what happened and taking the proper steps to hold doctors, medical professionals and hospitals accountable.