| Abstract [eng] |
Diagnostic errors are the inability to timely and accurately determine the cause of patient's health problems. In today’s society, the primary healthcare system plays a significant role in the diagnosis of diseases. This is exactly where decisions are made about what tests, medications, procedures or other services should be prescribed to the patient. Various factors that may be related to the doctor, the healthcare system, the patient, their illness or environment can become an obstacle to quick and effective diagnosis of the disease and have a significant impact on the patient's health status and quality of life. This scientific paper was written to review the possible causes of diagnostic errors and their consequences for patients, and what preventive measures could be taken to avoid diagnostic inaccuracies when examining sick individuals. Along with a literature review, this paper also presents a clinical case of a 45-year-old man who was diagnosed with alcohol dependence syndrome. This patient initially sought medical attention for non-specific complaints: anxiety, sleep disorders, difficulty concentrating and weakness. Despite the tests performed, some difficulties were encountered in collecting an accurate patient history due to the man's reluctance to talk about his alcohol consumption habits, which significantly complicated the diagnostic process. As the patient’s condition deteriorated, he was referred for consultations with a cardiologist and a neurologist, and the patient also underwent medical imaging procedures, however, the final diagnosis was established two months later. Nevertheless, based on the more detailed medical history provided by the patient’s relatives, problems related to alcohol use could already have been suspected two years earlier, when the patient consulted his family physician in order to obtain a medical certificate for a firearm. When communicating with reserved patients who are reluctant to talk about their lives in the primary healthcare setting, especially when the consultation time is short, it can be quite difficult to decide which method of communication to choose, which questions should be asked to the patient first, and which tests should be performed while taking into account the patient's history and complaints. When faced with these challenges, it is worth considering carefully which diagnostic tactics would be best suited to the patient's personality and visible symptoms of the disease. |
