If you need to go to the doctor because something is wrong, you assume (or at a minimum hope) that they will do everything in their power to help you and will begin by collecting all of the facts about you, your medical history, and your symptoms. Since doctors aren’t perfect, they sometimes make errors and misdiagnose illnesses. What happens when that mistake is the result of a personal bias the doctor holds that bars them from seeing the bigger picture?
The two major doctor biases patients may face when they go for a visit pertain to gender and race. Women are more likely to be misdiagnosed as their symptoms may manifest differently than they would in a male’s case. As such, women may be told their fine when they know for a fact that something is wrong. If you feel that something is wrong and you believe your doctor is missing something, immediately contact a different doctor to get a second opinion and then contact our offices to speak to a Texas medical malpractice lawyer.
Different races may exhibit different maladies and symptoms that can be misjudged, misconstrued, and misdiagnosed by a doctor. Some may end up being prescribed the wrong medicine that will cause new issues down the line.
Finally, a doctor may follow Occam’s Razor and follow the path to the simplest answer for a patient’s pain or qualms. Some illnesses will manifest pains and pangs in parts of the body and if a doctor doesn’t dig deeper for a cause and only treat the surface issue, bigger problems can develop.
If you feel that you are the victim of malpractice via bias, contact our offices to speak with a Texas medical malpractice lawyer to discuss the details of your injury and case. We will help protect your rights and determine if the doctor acted negligently so that you can earn the financial compensation you deserve.