diagnosis

A medical researcher prepares tests for various diseases including Zika.

How Best To Test For Zika Virus?

5:38pm March 10, 2016

by Rae Ellen Bichell

Getting an accurate diagnosis is a big hurdle in the current outbreak of Zika virus. There are three kinds of tests for Zika, and each has problems. Scientists are working hard to improve diagnosis.

Nat Batchelder and his mother, Susan Senator, in Foxborough, Mass.

Abuse Or The Flu? My Autistic Son Couldn't Tell Me What Was Wrong

5:11pm March 06, 2016

by Susan Senator

My heart fell when a counselor called to say he was worried something bad might have happened to Nat, my severely autistic 25-year-old son. Nat has trouble talking, and was teary. What should I do?

Errors in diagnosis, such as inaccuracies or delays in making the information available, account for an estimated 10 percent of patient deaths, a blue-ribbon report says.

Health & Safety

Report: Errors In Diagnosis Are Common And Will Take Teamwork To Fix

8:03pm September 22, 2015

by Julie Appleby

Mistakes in diagnosis are a factor in 10 percent of patient deaths, the Institute of Medicine says. Better training, computer systems and coordination of care are needed to curb the problem.

Let's see: fever, headache and dizziness.

Health & Safety

Online Symptom Checkers Can't Replace The Real-Life Doc Just Yet

5:09pm July 10, 2015

by Nadia Whitehead

More than a third of U.S. adults turn to the Internet for help diagnosing their illnesses themselves. But how trustworthy are the results?

How Many Viruses Have Infected You?

4:12pm June 05, 2015

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

Most tests for viruses aim to detect only one or two. But researchers can now check a drop of blood for antibodies to hundreds of viruses, tracing the history of a lifetime of infections, old and new.

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When combined with results of other neurological tests, and in the context of a thorough medical history, atrophy of the brain (shown here in an MRI scan) sometimes indicates Alzheimer's.

Many Doctors Who Diagnose Alzheimer's Fail To Tell The Patient

7:58pm April 01, 2015

by Jon Hamilton

Only about half of Medicare patients are told of the diagnosis by their doctor, a study finds. That compares to 90 percent of patients diagnosed with cancer.

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Johnny Reynolds ignored diabetes symptoms and put off going to the doctor for years when he didn't have health insurance. He was afraid he couldn't afford treatment.

States That Expand Medicaid Detect More Cases Of Diabetes

4:06pm March 30, 2015

by Anders Kelto

Researchers say their study suggests that more diabetes is being detected in particular states because, thanks to Medicaid, more poor people have access to screening and care.

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In a training session for health workers in West Africa run by WHO, Ebola survivors play the part of Ebola victims.

Test Your Medical Smarts: Does This Patient Have Ebola?

10:58am November 28, 2014

by Nsikan Akpan

Patient X arrives. She ran a fever. Now it's gone. But she has diarrhea. Should you test for the virus or not? That's the kind of case history presented to health workers heading to West Africa.