Sometimes, people in need of medical care know the exact cause of their symptoms. A person with a broken bone understands what caused their pain and the treatment they likely require to recover.
Other times, people experiencing painful, even debilitating symptoms may feel uncertain about the underlying cause of their condition. A number of different bacterial and viral infections, as well as much more serious medical conditions, could cause a painful cough, for example.
Patients rely on their doctors to diagnose them accurately, but doctors might fail to do so if they don’t take the time to listen to a patient’s concerns.
Overworked doctors rush through appointments
Research into modern medical care paints a grim picture of what patients experience. Physicians often interrupt patients without giving them adequate time to explain their symptoms and concerns.
On average, patients may only be able to talk for approximately 11 seconds before doctors interrupt them to ask a question or impose their own opinion on the situation. Many patients cannot adequately communicate their concerns and symptoms during just a few seconds.
They may also fail to highlight critical details or repeat themselves if they become distracted by a doctor interrupting them. In scenarios where physicians fail to reach a diagnosis but another doctor could have diagnosed them with the same information, the patient may have experienced medical malpractice.
If a doctor does not listen to their patients and fails to diagnose someone as a result, the patient affected by their diagnostic oversights or the surviving family members grieving that person may have grounds for a medical malpractice lawsuit. Reviewing medical records with a skilled legal team can help patients hold doctors accountable for failing to perform a key professional responsibility.