Receiving an accurate and timely diagnosis for a medical condition allows a Pennsylvania patient to make informed decisions about the kind of treatment to pursue. It is critical for a physician to run the appropriate tests, to take all reasonable care in interpreting their results and to consult with colleagues when in doubt. One doctor in another state is facing medical malpractice claims for allegedly misdiagnosing patients with multiple sclerosis, leaving their true conditions untreated and their lives in disarray.
The neurologist reviewed scans processed at the radiology center in his own offices and informed one woman she had the degenerative and incurable multiple sclerosis. He prescribed heavy medications. As a result, the woman spent the next five years sick and grieving.
Finally, she learned that the same doctor had apparently given up his license in another state in lieu of disciplinary actions following the misdiagnosis and death of another patient. The woman sought a second opinion from another neurologist. Her test results revealed that the woman likely did not have MS.
The doctor says he gave up his practice in the other state not for disciplinary reasons, but because the climate affected his health. He insists that no court or disciplinary board has ever found him guilty of medical malpractice. Nevertheless, five other patients have accused the doctor of misdiagnosing them with MS, and two have filed lawsuits against him. Patients in Pennsylvania and across the country rely on accurate diagnoses to maintain control over their health. When doctors fail in this duty, patients have the right to seek legal counsel to discuss their options.