Medical malpractice can take a variety of forms. In some cases, it is obvious – a surgical procedure is done incorrectly, and the patient suffers harm as a result. In other cases, it is not as overt. A doctor may fail to follow up with a patient, may fail to review a test result, or may fail to prescribe the right follow-up medication or test.
A failure of a doctor to follow up can lead to catastrophic injuries by the patient or even death. In some cases, a doctor will order a test, but the laboratory will fail to complete the test, or will not send back the results, and the doctor fails to notice. Another common scenario involves the laboratory sending back the lab results to the doctor’s office, but the results are lost in mounds of papers. Unless the doctor or staff follows up, and specifically calls the lab, the patient can fall through the cracks. Most doctors have some type of system that manages follow up, but some do not, and those systems can fail.
It’s critical that patients take an active lead in their medical care. If a doctor orders a test, if the patient doesn’t hear anything the patient should not assume that means that it is good news. If the patient is having symptoms that do not go away, even after the visit to the doctor, the patient should follow up.
If you have been harmed because a doctor failed to follow up on your test results, you should speak with an attorney. Call me, Conal Doyle, Los Angeles medical malpractice attorney at 310-385-0567. I can help. Call today to learn more or to schedule a free consultation on your case.