Should doctors who misdiagnose autism be fined?

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pgd
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09 Dec 2010, 1:33 pm

Should doctors who misdiagnose autism/related challenges be fined (like fines for speeding
tickets/going through red lights)? At the moment (2010), in general, doctors are exempt from punishments for incorrect diagnoses (generalization).



ooOoOoOAnaOoOoOoo
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09 Dec 2010, 1:36 pm

I don't think they should. It could be an honest mistake, which is why the experts say to get a second opinion. If one doctor thinks so and another doesn't, perhaps a third is required? Maybe what's needed is more than one doctor diagnosing and they all agreeing on the diagnosis?



CockneyRebel
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09 Dec 2010, 1:42 pm

I also don't think that they should be fined, either. People make honest mistakes all the time, and that includes doctors.


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wavefreak58
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09 Dec 2010, 1:43 pm

If there were a 100% accurate method for diagnosing, maybe. But doctors are human. If negligence could be proven, then a fine might be in order.


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Janissy
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09 Dec 2010, 3:11 pm

No. The criteria are subjective and open to interpretation. There is nothing in the criteria that is actually measurable, the way that the speed of a car is measurable.



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09 Dec 2010, 4:56 pm

No. There are no simple diagnostic tests for psychiatric conditions. You could ask three different psychiatrists and come away with 3 different diagnoses, and there would be enough professional support to each opinion that it would be deemed reasonable.