A 2021 University of Manchester study found that misdiagnosis occurs in about 4.3% of GP consultations. 

Most of the time, they say, this has little to no serious health implications; but sometimes, the harm from a misdiagnosis is moderate to severe (the numbers work out to about 6 million consultations yearly). 

Dr Karan Rajan, an NHS surgeon, author, and lecturer, recently Stitched the video of one such case on TikTok. 

A woman, who had been misdiagnosed with IBS, turned out to have had rampant endometriosis the entire time ― “This is a big problem in medicine,“Dr Rajan began his clip.

Why does it happen?

The doctor explained that in general, medical experts “like to put symptoms into neat little boxes.” 

In the case of this woman, her doctors had diagnosed her bowel issues as IBS because that was the area most affected ― even though the endometriosis that was really growing on her bowels was a gynaecological issue. 

The divide between symptoms “isn’t always so clear-cut in real life,” the doctor said. Seeing bowel symptoms as proof the issue only comes from the bowel, for instance, could potentially lead to misdiagnosis or under-diagnosis. 

Dr Rajan shared that medical experts often follow an “if you hear hooves, think of horses, not zebras” approach when it comes to diagnosis. In other words, most cases are the most common, expected kinds. 

But that can lead doctors to “ignore other possibilities,” Dr Rajan continued.

“A combination of our pre-existing cognitive biases and our siloed approach to healthcare, where we tend to fixate on symptoms in isolation, means we can often miss systemic conditions that span multiple organs.”

What should I do if I suspect misdiagnosis?

“If you find yourself in a position like this, you can advocate by keeping a detailed record of your symptoms,” Dr Rajan suggested. 

You should include details like when your symptoms happen, how severe they are, and anything you think might have triggered them. 

“Don’t settle for a specific diagnosis if you feel that it doesn’t fully explain all your symptoms or they’re getting worse,” the doctor added. 

“This includes advocating for imaging [like scans] or getting a second opinion, or if necessary a referral to a specialist.”