If you’ve been injured in a car accident, truck accident, or suffered a personal injury, your first step is likely going to be a visit to the emergency room. While many can agree that emergency room wait times can be long, we all deserve high-quality care when we finally get to see our doctor. However, according to the New York Times, some doctors feel rushed when they provide care, and this can lead to misdiagnosis, over diagnosis, and overtreatment.
Some argue that the commodification of medical care puts pressure on doctors to limit the time they spend with patients and to provide treatments that the patients may not need. Insurance companies may incentivize certain medical procedures, whether or not they are actually beneficial to patients. However, when doctors rush or bring assumptions to the table, or when they put the bottom line above patient care, patients can suffer serious injuries, complications, and even death. For example, traumatic brain injury is not always diagnosed right after a person suffers a head injury. CAT scans and other scans can’t always show subtler forms of brain trauma. However, according to the Mayo Clinic, if patients experience headaches, nausea, fatigue, problems speaking, difficult sleeping, dizziness, changes in vision or hearing, sensitivity to light, changes in mood, or if they experience memory problems, they may be suffering from mild traumatic brain injury. Because these symptoms cover such a broad spectrum, doctors might easily misdiagnose mood changes as depression. They may diagnose difficulty sleeping as insomnia. They may miss the connection between a head injury and a car accident that occurred a few weeks or even a month ago.
This is why patients need to make sure that they provide their doctors with their medical histories. If you’ve recently been in a car accident, for example, it may be a good idea to remind your doctor if you are visiting for a follow-up appointment. Don’t assume that your doctor will read your chart or will remember. Doctors see dozens of patients a day and may have hundreds of patients that they treat. Basic self-advocacy can make a huge difference in your outcome.
That said, doctors have a responsibility to provide quality treatment and make proper diagnosis. They should keep detailed notes and read them before they see patients. They should avoid overmedication, but should take the time to provide their patients with a proper diagnosis. Anything less can result in injury, death, or complications.
If you or a loved one has recently been injured, suffered a personal injury in a car accident, or was misdiagnosed, you may have important rights under the law. The Law Office of Robert Gregg are personal injury lawyers in Dallas, Texas who work closely with victims and families to help them get the justice they may deserve. Our firm may be able to help you collect medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering damages.