“a mistake can sort of be contagious,†she says.
perhaps the most worrisome reason for a misdiagnosis is a mistake, like the loss of a document, results never coming back, blood results misplaced, physicians missing something critical as they look through piles of tests, or other things like a follow up appointment not being properly booked.
pacheco also says that disrupted communication can happen as physicians and the hospital can get very busy, so speaking with one another as they hand off patients doesn’t always occur.
miscommunication also happens within vulnerable populations where patients may be unable to communicate how they are feeling due to language, a disability or social and cultural barriers. sometimes the physician doesn’t take the time to help find an interpreter to help them express their feelings and get the information that they need.
be aware of your body
from her experience, mcgee says that people need consider the possibility that doctors can be wrong, especially if they feel that their diagnosis doesn’t match the symptoms that they have.
“people have to be aware that medical errors and misdiagnoses can occur, and also have a healthy skepticism about their physician’s judgement,†she says. “i’m not telling people not to trust their doctors, but that they need to be open to the idea that [the] doctors can make a mistake.â€