

Quest Diagnostics focuses primarily on blood work and pathology (examination of tissue samples for cancer) as opposed to radiology, MRIs or other imaging diagnostic tools. Quest provides lab work, screening and other diagnostic services, so when they get sued for medical malpractice it is almost always based on some type of failure to diagnose or misdiagnosis theory. Question Diagnostics is considered a healthcare provider under Maryland law, which means it can be sued for medical malpractice the same as a doctor. Medical Malpractice Claims Against Quest Diagnostics Some conditions that have a higher rate of diagnostic error include: Human error occurs even with the safest tests by being administered or interpreted incorrectly. Unfortunately, even for well-designed tests, there is no guarantee that the test is completely fail-safe.

This is due to the condition having similar symptoms to other illnesses, making it easier for a lab technician to confuse samples or give a misdiagnosis. There are some conditions that are more likely to have a diagnostic error or be misdiagnosed. Unintentionally exposing samples to the environment.Storing and shipping samples incorrectly.Mislabeling samples or missing necessary information on samples.When any of these mistakes occur, the risk of a diagnostic error is dramatically increased. A number of problems could happen during the pre-analytical phase that can contaminate the samples being used. This phase involves labeling and organizing the patient's samples before they go in for testing. The pre-analytical phase is when most diagnostic errors occur. The process of lab work is broken down into three different phases: the pre-analytical phase, the analytical phase, and post-analytical phase. Quest Diagnostics is regularly sued for lab errors and other diagnosis failures that, in worst-case scenarios, ended in the patient dying from either their original illness or a reaction from using the wrong medication. Studies have shown that diagnostic error accounts for the largest fraction of malpractice claims, the most severe patient harm, and the highest liability payouts. Medical diagnostic errors at places like Quest Diagnostics are much more common than you probably think. When life threatening conditions like cancer are involved, diagnostic failures can literally be fatal. Many health conditions have a limited time frame for effective treatment, so any significant delay in diagnosis can prevent a patient from effectively treating their illness. If the diagnosis from Quest is delayed or incorrect it can have disastrous consequences for the patient. These results allow the patient and their doctor to take the next step in starting their treatment. Patients rely on Quest Diagnostics for accurate and timely results about what condition they've developed. For many people, Quest Diagnostics is a vital resource for diagnosing conditions such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, neurological disorders, STDs, and birth defects. They provide a wide array of services, including diagnostic screening for medical conditions, drug screens, and clinical trials. Quest Diagnostics is the world's leading provider of diagnostic information services and has over 2,000 locations around the country. If you have ever had to take a drug test issued by your employer or gotten blood work taken for your doctor, you might be familiar with Quest Diagnostics.
