The importance of an accurate diagnosis accelerated the development of tests to detect the presence of antibodies, or to find the virus itself. Learn more about the diagnostic process and why accuracy is critical.
Your diagnosis is the basis for any treatment you may receive, from drugs to surgery. An accurate diagnosis is critical to prevent wasting precious time on the wrong course of treatment. The patient plays a crucial role in helping determine the correct diagnosis.
Patient History
The diagnostic process begins when you notice something’s wrong, and you contact your doctor. Your physician will ask you about your health history. It’s important to provide accurate and complete answers to your doctor’s questions.
The clinical interview is followed by a physical exam, to detect abnormalities. Your doctor may order diagnostic tests. There is some concern in the medical community that overreliance on advances in diagnostic testing, and the growth and expansion of the diagnostic testing market, may have caused doctors to neglect the “bedside evaluation” in favor of immediate testing. But the interview is a critical part of determining what information to gather, and what factors may be impacting the patient’s health. Choosing the Diagnostic Testing is important here.
Analysis
Physicians interpret and analyze the information gathered from the clinical interview, physical exam, and any diagnostic tests performed. Tests range from blood tests to medical imaging, like x-rays, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound, or CAT scans. Consultation with specialists may be necessary to interpret results and determine treatments.
Misdiagnosis
According to the Society to Improve Diagnosis in Medicine (SIDM), diagnostic errors are common—over 12 million American adults receive an incorrect diagnosis each year. Mistakes happen when the system doesn’t work, someone misplaces or mislabels a sample, or equipment breaks down. Errors in analysis happen when the doctor doesn’t gather enough information, or analyzes it incorrectly. Jumping to conclusions without considering all the possibilities is another reason for misdiagnosis. For example, women’s heart problems are missed because they’re more difficult to discover than cardiac issues in men. Doctors sometimes dismiss real symptoms as “all in the patient’s head” if test results don’t reveal an obvious answer to a medical issue.
Being a proactive patient can help you receive an accurate diagnosis. Obtain a second opinion, and ask questions if you are unsatisfied with the answers or the treatment you are receiving. The importance of an accurate diagnosis can’t be underestimated, because diagnostic errors cause delays and mistakes in treatment that can be fatal. The SIDM offers a patient toolkit and a patient checklist jointly developed with the National Patient Safety Foundation and the Cautious Patient Foundation. It is available on the organization’s website.
About the Company:
Among the Pharmacies in London, Haggerston Pharmacy is the best one offering all the options in tests. For the patients this is a safe house with proper results.