Failure to diagnose Giant Cell Arteritis results in settlement
OMIC has seen several sizeable settlements resulting from failure to diagnose giant cell arteritis cases in the past few years. In 2020, alone, there were two large settlements, this one for $475K and another case for $600K. The settlements are large because GCA, if diagnosis does not occur or is delayed, often leads to bilateral blindness in elderly patients.
Allegation: Failure to diagnose giant cell arteritis in a 79-year-old.
Disposition: Settlement of $475K.
Read the entire treatment history, analyses, and takeaways from these two claims on pg. 6 of the 2022 Digest Vol 32 N0 1.
2022 Digest (Vol 32 No 1)
Allegations of failure to diagnose are common in medical malpractice lawsuits against ophthalmologists, and diagnostic error is an issue of ongoing concern in the healthcare community. In fact, one of the “Top 10 Patient Safety Concerns” listed in an ECRI (formerly the Emergency Care Research Institute) and Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) 2022 special report is “Cognitive Biases and Diagnostic Error.” We examine solutions.
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