Medical Malpractice

You might think that with all the advances in Western medicine that misdiagnosis has become a rare occurrence. That's not the case.

I recently read an article that appeared in the New York Times in February 2006, that stated that autopsies have shown that doctors seriously misdiagnose fatal illnesses about 20 percent of the time. Millions of patients are being treated for the wrong disease. The 20 percent rate of misdiagnosis has not really changed since the 1930's. "No Improvement!" was how an article in the normally exclamation free journal of the American Medical Association summarized the situation. One seventh of our economy is devoted to health care and yet misdiagnosis is killing thousands of Americans every year.

Under the current medical system, doctors, nurses, lab technicians, and hospital executives are not actually paid to come up with the right diagnosis. Believe it or not, they are paid to perform tests and to do surgery and to dispense prescription drugs.

There is no bonus for curing someone and no penalty for failing, except when the mistake rise to the level of malpractice. So even though doctors have the best intentions, they have little economic incentive to spend time double checking their instincts, and hospitals have little incentive to give them the tools to do so.

Knowing this information, at a minimum, I would encourage you to get a second opinion if you find yourself facing an issue. Remember, knowledge is power. Research can also be very helpful in this situation. It is important to find a professional who truly takes quality time to asses all aspects of what may be impacting your health. Physical, mental, emotional and spiritual issues may manifest themselves in the physical body.