The medical profession, as with so many others, has specialists and generalists. Patients are often referred to a specialist in Ohio when one physician is not sure of what the problem may be. A specialist is trusted to have more in-depth knowledge and to provide information to the patient to the best of his or her ability. A possible failure to correctly communicate medical findings resulted in a medical malpractice case against doctors in a neighboring state.
The patient complained of abdominal pain and trouble with urination. Doctors performed a scan that revealed the presence of kidney stones as well as what appeared to have been a tumor. The patient was successfully treated for kidney stones but was not informed of the presence of the possible tumor. Two years after being treated for the kidney stones, the patient was diagnosed with bladder cancer.
According to the complaint filed against the doctors involved, neither the radiologist nor anyone else informed the patient of the need for additional evaluation regarding the observed abnormality in the vicinity of the bladder. When diagnosed with bladder cancer there were multiple tumors present that may have been avoided had the initial scan been followed up on. The patient was awarded $8.5 million as a result of the suit.
Patients have a right to be told of all possible results of medical tests and what those results mean. While a cancer diagnosis is not the death sentence it once was, it is still best to catch it early. Failure to do so can result in a shortened life expectancy. A patient in Ohio who has doubts about the accuracy of a prior diagnosis may wish to consult with a legal professional to determine if a medical malpractice suit is a viable option.