Medical Records Can Be Wrong

Medical Records Can Be Wrong

According to the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, “nearly 1 in 10 people who access (health) records online end up requesting they be corrected for a variety of reasons.”

Our medical records are likely full of errors. While you may not think that is a big deal, it can be if it ends up resulting in a misdiagnosis. We particularly want to bring you the story of Susan Sheridan and what happened to her husband 20 years ago.

When he had a workup done on a mass in his neck, the pathology report identified synovial cell sarcoma which is a type of cancer. However, that information did not get to his neurosurgeon because it was left out of his records.

When her husband returned to the hospital six months later, his body in severe distress, the error of omission was discovered. By then it was too late – his cancer had metastasized to his spinal canal. He passed away a few years later.

Had that error never occurred, had they properly diagnosed and treated his cancer, his outcome would have been much different. At The Weitz Firm, LLC, we take these errors seriously. When you need a Philadelphia failure to diagnose and treat cancer attorney, our team is ready to help.

What Can Happen?

Did you know that cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States? As many as 600,000 people are killed due to the various forms of cancer each year. We say this because early detection and treatment of cancer is the best chance a person has.

Do you know what to do if your doctors fail to detect cancer at all?

That is not out of the realm of possibilities. Medical errors are the third leading cause of death in the US and we know that errors in diagnosis cause the most severe patient harm of any medical mistake.

Our doctors are trained to be on the lookout for symptoms and signs that a patient may have cancer. When they recognize these signs and symptoms, they need to run the necessary tests to confirm or rule out cancer. If they fail to perform these tests, against the symptoms a patient is presenting, they are jeopardizing the lives of their patients.

If cancer is not detected early due to a misdiagnosis, this could lead to the need for more aggressive, and expensive, treatment when the mistake is finally discovered.

It could also mean that there is nothing else doctors can do. A failure to diagnose and treat cancer may lead to a patient’s death.

What Are Your Options

We know that you will have many questions when something like this happens:

  • Did I do something wrong?
  • Where did the error occur?
  • Is there anything I can do now?

At The Weitz Firm, LLC, our knowledgeable and experienced team wants to help you find answers. We will work tirelessly to secure the compensation you and your family deserve in the aftermath of an incident like this. When you need a Philadelphia failure to diagnose and treat cancer attorney, you can contact us for a free consultation by clicking here or calling 267-587-6240.

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