what would you do with the wrong diagnosis?

Question

If a Dr. was speading through an exam on your 15 month old son and wrongly diagnosed him...making you have to take him to the ER later that night and have the ER Dr. laugh because your child has none of the signs of the diagnosis what would you do?

Answer 1

Ask for the right one.

The ER doctor laughing at the local doctor's diagnosis is quite a common phenomenon. Many of us ER docs frown on the practices of the more money-hungry family GP's because when they are trying to see 8 patients per hour (that's 7.5 mins you get for them to decide: antibiotics/antihistamine/here have this prescription or OMG it could be appendicitis/meningitis/pneumonia/whatever and get thee to the hospital post-haste!) of course they miss things. I talk with the family GP's and they say "Oh - we see the patient many times over the years and we know what their background is." Of course the good GP's do the right thing. I don't see their patients or have to fix their mistakes except when the patient comes in with a bona-fide emergency/accident.

In Australia, ER doctors are paid on an hourly basis and are not in a hurry to process you and get on to the next patient. If you need more time, we observe you. If you need certain tests - we can do most of them and get results back reasonably quickly.

It isn't your fault that the first doctor did a shoddy job. Just be aware - learn - don't go and see that doctor again. Find a better GP.

About your child's illness. If you have legitimate concerns, the ER doc should have addressed these and had a good look at your child. I'd hope (s)he was a good and thorough doctor. I'm well aware that there are shoddy ER doctors too.

Answer 2

It depends on what the actual harm to your son was. Personally I'd call the doctors office and confront him/her. They should pay for the ER visit.

Answer 3

Take him to a different Doctor from their on.