A new study shows doctors are misdiagnosing patients with MS. This error not only pushes patients into unnecessary and potentially harmful treatment, but it also puts a financial strain on the health care system.
Researchers from Oregon Health & Science University and the Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center estimate the misdiagnosing of patients with MS costs the health care system at least $11 million a year.
The findings
The study is based on a survey of 122 multiple sclerosis specialists nationwide. The survey found that all but six of the multiple sclerosis specialists — more than 95 percent — had seen at least one patient within the past year who had been diagnosed with MS by another medical provider, but the MS specialist “strongly felt the patient did not in fact have MS.”
“What we found was that the misdiagnosis of MS was common — perhaps more so than previously thought. This has significant consequences for patients and for our health care system as a whole,” said Andrew Solomon, M.D., the lead author of the study.
Often, these diagnostic errors happen with diseases, like MS, “that don’t have a definitive test,” said Eran Klein, M.D., Ph.D, the third co-author of the study and an assistant professor in OHSU’s Department of Neurology.
“These diseases instead require well-honed skills of a professionally trained clinician who is knowledgeable about the disease, can study a patient’s medical history, perform a detailed physical examination and evaluate additional medical information to make the proper diagnosis. This study sheds light on the importance of clinical expertise in recognizing and correcting diagnostic error.”
Harmful effects
Dennis Bourdette, M.D., the senior author of the study and director of the OHSU Multiple Sclerosis Center, said the misdiagnoses not only meant patients were getting expensive and potentially harmful treatments they didn’t need, but they were also not getting the appropriate treatment for the diseases they may have had.
“These patients were getting the wrong treatment — and missing out on the correct treatment,” Bourdette said.
The study suggests patients should always seek a second opinion.
