Any competent doctor or hospital that examines a patient will first seek to diagnose the patient’s illness before beginning any treatment plan. Typically a doctor will take an oral history of the patient’s complaints, family background, and current symptoms. In many cases, the medical provider will then offer diagnostic tests such as blood work, x-rays, MRIs, and CT scans to determine what is causing the patient’s presenting problem. Doctors, nurses, hospitals, and any medical provider can fail to diagnose a disease or medical problems in several ways.
A delayed diagnosis occurs when the health provider fails to promptly recognize that the patient has a treatable disease. The delay in diagnosis can mean that the patient does not get the right treatment in time. In some cases, an immediate surgery may resolve the problem. In other cases, early intervention can slow down or even reverse the patient’s medical difficulties.
Prompt diagnosis of breast, prostate, lung or any type of cancer can often mean the difference between life and death. Chemotherapy and other interventions can eliminate malignant tumors if they are treated early enough.
