An examination of child-related medical negligence settlements and judgments finds that failure to diagnose is the most common reason for payments. The study, published in Pediatrics, the official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, pulled statistics from the National Practitioner Data Bank, a mandatory electronic depository which documents such payments. My conclusion – pediatricians need to spend more time examining their patients and listening to what parents are telling them about their children’s symptoms.
Read an abstract of the study here.