Medical Test Result Mistakes And Miscommunications: Your Rights Regarding Medical Malpractice Claims In Issaquah
If you suffer an accidental injury, sudden illness, or chronic health condition, your doctor is likely to order different types of medical tests. This may include anything from blood work and X-rays to more invasive diagnostic procedures. The results of this testing typically play a significant role in determining your course of treatment.
What happens when test results are wrong, or there were mistakes and miscommunications in how they were processed? Unfortunately, this is a common problem that could have major impacts on your health. Our Issaquah medical malpractice attorney explains some of the most common errors with medical test results and your rights in seeking compensation.
Common Types Of Medical Record Mistakes
Whether you visit your doctor for a checkup or for treatment of specific symptoms, you are likely to find yourself undergoing different types of medical tests. Blood draws, x-rays or scans, biopsies, and testing of various bodily functions or tissues are all common and can help diagnose potentially life-threatening conditions.
However, between the sheer number of tests ordered and industry-wide employee shortages, getting the correct results often proves challenging. Medical tests are not fail-proof, nor are the results always correctly communicated.
Merck Manuals warns providers that medical test mistakes and miscommunications can have profound implications and may prevent patients from getting the appropriate care and interventions they need. Among the most common ways in which diagnostic test result mistakes in King County are made include:
- Contaminated or otherwise improperly conducted tests, which can result in misleading results;
- Failure on the part of lab technicians to read test results correctly;
- Lack of communication between test facilities and medical providers;
- Failure on the part of your doctor to thoroughly review test reports, communicate results to you, and take the appropriate medical actions.
Your Rights In Filing A Medical Malpractice Claim In King County
Medical testing plays a vital role in diagnosing, treating, and managing a variety of potentially serious health conditions. Mistakes are made in conducting tests, recording the results, or communicating them to patients can have major ramifications. Misdiagnosis may result in dangerous delays in treatment, jeopardizing your overall health while causing you additional suffering.
When doctors, nurses, test technicians, and others in the medical field make medical test mistakes, they can be held liable for the impacts that result. Under the Washington Code (Chapter 7.70 RCW), you may have the right to file a medical malpractice claim against them, seeking compensation for:
- Current and future medical costs;
- Lost wages and future lost income due to long-term disability;
- Payment for pain, suffering, and any lost enjoyment in life you experience.
Request A Consultation With Our Issaquah Medical Malpractice Attorney
Mistakes and miscommunications concerning medical test results can have major ramifications on your health. If you suspect a medical mistake occurred, request a consultation with Injury Law Group NW. To discuss how we can help you get compensation, give us a call or contact our Issaquah medical malpractice attorney online today.
Sources:
merckmanuals.com/professional/special-subjects/clinical-decision-making/understanding-medical-tests-and-test-results
app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=7.70
