In broad terms, failure to diagnose implies a failure to find an appropriate solution to a particular problem after a reasonable period of assessment. It can apply to any field of endeavor in which someone is charged with finding some plausible explanation for particular symptoms and observations: car mechanics, meteorologists, crime detectives, astronauts, plumbers, dentists, doctors, psychologists, and many others. Failure may mean that the correct diagnosis was not made, a wrong diagnosis was made, or the correct diagnosis was unduly delayed. Often, the failure to diagnose may have no serious consequences other than inconvenience or added time and effort, but in some circumstances, it may be associated with catastrophic outcomes. In the health care setting, an incorrect diagnosis usually leads to an inappropriate ...

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