Misdiagnosis isn’t always tied to one moment like a single test result. More often, it shows up as a pattern across visits:
- A patient is told symptoms are “likely something else,” then returns when symptoms worsen
- Imaging is ordered, but the abnormal finding isn’t acted on quickly enough
- Lab results aren’t communicated clearly or are treated as routine despite red flags
- A follow-up referral is delayed or instructions aren’t effectively tracked
If automated tools were used—such as clinical decision support, risk scoring, imaging assistance, or documentation templates—the legal focus usually turns to how the care team used that information: what it should have triggered, what verification should have occurred, and whether staff followed escalation protocols.


