The Law Offices of Sanford F. Young, P.C.

Getting results since 1978

Does gender play a role in medical malpractice?

On Behalf of | Jul 12, 2024 | Medical Malpractice

Medical malpractice happens to both men and women. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that they face the same risks every time they go to see the doctor. Some reports indicate that gender plays a role and that women are at greater risk of a misdiagnosis or another type of medical malpractice.

One way in which this manifests is in the area of heart attacks. It is far more likely that doctors will misdiagnose a heart attack for a female patient than it is that they would make the same mistake with a male patient. Often, women just have different symptoms. Doctors make assumptions about male symptoms like chest pain, and so they misdiagnose women who don’t present the same symptoms – overlooking symptoms like nausea, dizziness or neck and jaw pain.

More than just heart attacks

But it’s not just heart attacks that have exposed this issue. Some studies claim that it’s around 20% to 30% more likely that women will experience a misdiagnosis on the whole.

For example, it’s more likely that women will be misdiagnosed with schizophrenia. Intriguingly, the same thing is true for minority patients. For instance, African-American patients are less likely to be diagnosed with early dementia, which means they may miss out on important treatment options.

Overall, it seems that doctors have the least trouble with misdiagnosis issues when treating white male patients. But this is problematic for a wide range of patients who may not be receiving optimal care from their physicians – perhaps because their physician is simply less familiar with their symptoms. Those who have suffered harm or lost a loved one due to medical malpractice must be aware of their legal options.