Every year, healthcare providers make mistakes that endanger or harm their patients. According to a new study, women and ethnic and racial minorities are 20% to 30% more likely to experience these mistakes than white men. The study’s results, which were published in JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) Internal Medicine, found that nearly 1 in 4 hospital patients who died or were transferred to intensive care had a diagnostic error, further highlighting just how urgently our nation must strive to address this significant public health concern.

Data on Errors in Healthcare

Approximately 795,000 Americans die or suffer permanent disabilities resulting from medical misdiagnoses each year. Here are some examples of how minorities and women are affected:

• Black mothers are 2.6 times more likely to die than white moms. One of the most common causes of maternal death is the weakening of the heart muscle; the condition is more common among Black women. Over half of these maternal deaths take place within a year after delivery. Black women who experience childbirth-related heart failure also tend to be diagnosed later than white women who experience childbirth-related heart failure. This also means that Black women who experience this type of heart failure or a weakening of the heart muscle are more likely to experience complications in the future.
• Minorities and women are less likely to be diagnosed early with dementia. Early diagnosis and intervention are critical for dementia since they allow patients to access interventive treatments and supportive services sooner. This also helps improve the patient’s quality of life and that of their caregiver.
• Black people with depression are more likely to be misdiagnosed with schizophrenia than Whites. One study published in the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) referred to this problem as the “weaponization of medicine,” citing how the Black community’s higher schizophrenia diagnosis rate leads to reduced opportunities, lifelong punitive societal implications, increased contact with the legal system, substandard care, and criminalization. The study found that overdiagnoses are largely rooted in racial biases among clinicians. This problem is even further complicated by higher rates of traumatizing stressors the Black community experiences related to racism.
• Black children and teens are less likely to be correctly diagnosed with appendicitis than White children and teenagers. As a medical emergency, if appendicitis is left untreated due to a misdiagnosis or the failure to diagnose, there can be serious – and potentially fatal – medical complications. These include a ruptured appendix, which can spread bacteria through the abdomen and cause a potentially fatal infection, an abscess, and/or peritonitis. Peritonitis is a life-threatening infection of the lining of the abdomen and requires urgent medical treatment.
• Individuals with darker skin are less likely to receive a timely diagnosis of conditions that affect the skin, including Lyme disease and cancer. Although Black individuals are less likely to develop melanoma (skin cancer) than White individuals are, they still face numerous risks for the cancer and have a lower five-year survival rate. A study, also published in JAMA, said that Black patients are more likely to have advanced stages of Lyme disease once they are diagnosed. Just as with many other medical conditions, early intervention and treatment are crucial in preventing the development of major complications. These include issues like severe fatigue, arthritis, irregular heartbeat, and memory problems.
• Women and minorities experiencing heart attacks are more likely to be discharged without receiving a diagnosis or treatment. Women are less likely to be diagnosed with a heart attack as quickly as men. They also are more likely to have a “silent” heart disease or heart disease without symptoms. Women can experience atypical symptoms like jaw pain, back pain, malaise, cold sweats, shortness of breath, and nausea. Black individuals face heart attack-related obstacles, including access to healthcare and a lack of diversity in cardiology training programs.

Diagnostic errors are not the only medical mistakes that endanger patients. Other types of common – and preventable – medical mistakes include adverse drug events, improper transfusions, anesthesia errors, birth injuries, failure to provide prophylactic treatment, catheter-associated urinary tract infections, central-line-associated bloodstream infections, under and over-treatment or errors in administering treatment (wrong dose medications, etc.), wrong-site surgeries, surgical injuries, injuries resulting from falls and immobility, surgical site infections, pressure ulcers, and more.

Were You a Victim of Medical Malpractice?

Hundreds of thousands of Americans are injured or killed by medical mistakes each year. For Black individuals and women, the threat of falling victim to a preventable medical mistake is even higher. At Galfand Berger, our attorneys have decades of experience representing victims of medical malpractice. Here are some examples of our firm’s results:

• Our client suffered an extensive brain injury when her heart stopped following a drug overdose. The hospital failed to implant a pacemaker in a timely manner, leading to an irreparable brain injury. We achieved a $2,100,000.00 settlement on behalf of our client and her family. You can read more about this recovery at https://www.galfandberger.com/verdicts/Medical-Malpractice/48-2/.
• Our client fell and fractured some bones. He was sent home by his doctor, who failed to notice the clear and persistent signs of an infection. As a result, our client suffered significant complications. Our attorneys settled the matter for $1.3 million dollars in favor of our client. Learn more about this settlement at: https://www.galfandberger.com/verdicts/Medical-Malpractice/20-2/.

If you need help following a preventable medical error, someone at our firm can help. Contact a representative online now.

Philadelphia Medical Malpractice Lawyers at Galfand Berger, LLP, Representing Injured Victims Since 1947

Contact the Philadelphia medical malpractice attorneys at Galfand Berger LLP today. Call us at 800-222-USWA (8792) or fill out our online form for a free consultation. Located in Philadelphia, Bethlehem, Lancaster, and Reading, Pennsylvania, we serve clients throughout New Jersey and Pennsylvania, including Allentown and Harrisburg.