The prospect of walking into a hospital or clinic and receiving a misdiagnosis is something that fills most patients with dread. An incorrect medical assessment can be a hassle, even in the best case scenario.
At the other end of the spectrum, diagnostic errors can be expensive, dangerous, and even deadly.
This is, however, a reality for 12 million Americans seeking outpatient care yearly.
Some of the conditions practitioners miss may carry grave consequences without a timely diagnosis—such as in the treatment of cancer, heart attack, and stroke.
One John Hopkins study revealed that, out of 6,000 patients across the United States, health practitioners misdiagnosed one out of every 71 cancer cases. The same report showed that one out of five cancers were also misclassified. This can result in dangerously delayed or ineffective treatment….