You make an appointment with your doctor to get answers for the symptoms you experience. While some conditions may take a while to diagnose, what happens if your doctor fails to diagnose you timely, and you find that your condition is worse?
Medical professionals need to follow certain standards of care, or else they may find themselves involved in a medical malpractice case. A delay in diagnosis is one example of this.
Did you have to return for repeated appointments?
It is common to follow up with providers to get a diagnosis. Each appointment should lead to something that pushes the doctor towards a proper diagnosis or leaves you with a plan of action to make you feel better. If this is not happening, and your doctor is not giving you some kind of treatment option or feedback, you may want a second opinion.
Did your doctor send you for tests?
Doctors usually follow a course for diagnosis and treatment, including blood work and any other tests they feel may help them get some answers. These tests typically come in response to the symptoms you experience or your current physical condition. If your doctor did not follow this standard course of action, you might want to ask why.
Did your symptoms worsen over time?
If your symptoms worsen or change, and your doctor does not address this, you should seek immediate help elsewhere. Doctors should first treat symptoms and then find their source.
Advocating for your health is not necessarily easy or comfortable. However, a delay in diagnosis can sometimes lead to a decline in your quality of life or worse.