- aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/info-06-2011/what-to-do-when-your-doctor-doesnt-know.html
- aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/info-06-2011/commonly-misdiagnosed-illnesses.html
Provide names of other journalists involved.
Nancy Perry Graham, Editor and Vice President Ken Budd, Executive Editor
List date(s) this work was published or aired.
July/August 2011 issue
Provide a brief synopsis of the story or stories, including any significant findings.
Millions of Americans suffer from misdiagnosed illnesses, and some find themselves going from one doctor to another in search of the correct diagnosis. Our story examines why misdiagnosis is so common, from mistakes in how doctors think, to overreliance on specialists and medical testing, to the human body itself (which has limited ways to communicate that something is wrong). The story then offers ways to help steer your doctor in the right direction. Finally, the story includes a chart of the seven most commonly misdiagnosed illnesses, their symptoms, what they mimic, and the tests that can be done to definitively diagnose your ailment.
Explain types of documents, data or Internet resources used. Were FOI or public records act requests required? How did this affect the work?
The story quotes numerous statistics from the National Institutes of Health, the Mayo Clinic, and peer-reviewed journals including The Journal of the American Medical Association. It also cites studies from these organizations and others to detail how widespread the phenomenon of misdiagnosis is, and to support the evidence that diagnoses are too often missed, even when the clues are there. FOI and public records requests were not required.
Explain types of human sources used.
The story quotes numerous experts, including Lisa Sanders, M.D., a Yale University School of Medicine professor who writes the “Diagnosis” column for The New York Times Magazine; William Gahl, M.D., Ph.D., director of NIH’s Undiagnosed Diseases Program; and Daniel Kastner, M.D., Ph.D., scientific director of the National Human Genome Research Institute. We also quote several patients who have been misdiagnosed.
Results:
This story has been one of the most-viewed stories on the magazine’s website, garnering more than 1.5 million hits to date. Reader feedback has also been tremendous.
Follow-up (if any). Have you run a correction or clarification on the report or has anyone come forward to challenge its accuracy? If so, please explain.
No corrections or clarifications were needed.
Advice to other journalists planning a similar story or project.
Gabrielle Redford’s advice to other journalists: “Our readers are intensely interested in health stories, particularly stories that will help them live longer and healthier lives. By helping them to discern what might be wrong with them, and giving them tips to help their doctors figure out what’s wrong with them, we offered them concrete tips to combat the understandable frustration and pain that accompanies misdiagnosis. As the population ages, more and more people will likely have an illness that defies diagnosis. This story will continue to evolve.”