Author : SRT Date : March 13, 2026

A Missed Diagnosis Today Can Be Tomorrow’s Health Crisis

Maria, a 28-year-old retail worker, began experiencing shortness of breath and chest tightness during her shifts. She went to urgent care twice and was told it was likely anxiety or fatigue. No further testing was ordered. Months later, Maria collapsed and was admitted with advanced heart failure caused by an undiagnosed congenital heart condition.

When symptoms are ignored or minimized, appropriate care is delayed, conditions worsen, and everyone faces higher costs and more complex disease to manage. Unfortunately, women and people of color are more likely to be affected by missed diagnosis.

  • Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death for women in the U.S., yet women are less likely to receive prompt, appropriate cardiac care.¹
  • Endometriosis affects an estimated 1 in 10 women, but diagnosis is delayed an average of 7–10 years.²
  • Autoimmune diseases disproportionately affect women and often present with vague early symptoms like fatigue or pain, which are easy to dismiss.³

Preventing the next health crisis starts with listening and diagnosing well at the bedside. Clinicians are facing significant pressures of limited time, lack of resources and competing priorities but a few tips can help:

  • Take complaints seriously. Even “nonspecific” symptoms deserve structured evaluation.
  • Ask the right questions. History-taking accounts for up to 90% of diagnostic accuracy.⁴
  • Keep differentials broad. Always include both common and dangerous possibilities.
  • Follow through. If answers aren’t clear today, reassess tomorrow. Diagnosis is a process.

That’s why I created Access Diagnosis—an AI-powered tool that helps clinicians avoid missing key components. Access Diagnosis identifies relevant :

  • probing history questions
  • differential diagnosis
  • focused exam, labs, and imaging
  • Supporting material like patient education, clinical guidelines and references

Access Diagnosis helps clinicians meet their goal of helping every patient get the right diagnosis the first time.  If you’re a clinician, educator, or health leader ready to move beyond awareness and toward action, I invite you to explore how Access Diagnosis can support your practice. 👉 Discover Access Diagnosis here

 

References

  1. Mehta LS, Beckie TM, DeVon HA, et al. Acute Myocardial Infarction in Women: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association.Circulation. 2016;133(9):916–947.
  2. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Management of Endometriosis. ACOG Practice Bulletin No. 114.Obstet Gynecol. 2010;116(1):223–236.
  3. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Autoimmune Diseases Research. Updated 2022. Available at:https://www.niaid.nih.gov/diseases-conditions/autoimmune-diseases
  4. Hampton JR, Harrison MJ, Mitchell JR, Prichard JS, Seymour C. Relative contributions of history-taking, physical examination, and laboratory investigation to diagnosis and management of medical outpatients.BMJ. 1975;2(5969):486–489. doi:10.1136/bmj.2.5969.486