Heart Health
Are heart attacks overdiagnosed?
Fear of a malpractice lawsuit is just one reason doctors may diagnose heart attacks in people who haven't had one.
- Reviewed by Christopher P. Cannon, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Heart Letter; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
More than two decades ago, a now-classic study revealed an unsettling statistic: about 2% of people who showed up in emergency departments in the throes of a heart attack were mistakenly sent home without treatment. "Failure to diagnose a heart attack is the No. 1 cause of malpractice payouts in the emergency department," says Dr. James Januzzi, the Hutter Family Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and a cardiologist at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital.
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About the Author
Julie Corliss, Executive Editor, Harvard Heart Letter
About the Reviewer
Christopher P. Cannon, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Heart Letter; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
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