Was the real story about Robin Williams' diagnosis of Lewy body dementia really told?

Watch the documentary Robin's Wish

This documentary left me with this impression. Robin Williams was misdiagnosed with Parkinson's disease and not diagnosed with Lewy's body dementia until after his death. His doctors, family and friends may have unintentionally colluded in making too many allowances for his mental deterioration and cognitive decline because he was so bright.

However, the early signs were red flags. The doctors' oversights and the apparent rationalizations by his friends did not allow his wife to make the necessary preparations for Robin's death.

An earlier diagnosis could have prevented his unexpected and untimely suicide and saved Robin and his wife, Susan, a lot of psychological torment and mental distress. Robin was not given the opportunity to consider a physician-assisted suicide with the support of his loving wife.

Is the Susan's story being missed in this documentary?

The diagnoses of rare diseases are difficult to make, especially in the early stages. Every doctor of any experience has made these kinds of errors.

I remember vividly my last case in making a delay in diagnosing normal pressure hydrocephalus in a patient with a complex medical history. I felt guilty about this delay and expressed my regrets to the family. This story is too complex to describe here in detail.

An earlier diagnosis may have improved end-of-life caring issues for the family. Fortunately the family were forgiving, in large part because they knew that I cared for, and tried hard to sort out their family member's problems.

• What if medical errors were addressed anonymously and openly for everyone to learn from?

We need greater transparency and public accountability with medical errors. Otherwise, these stories are lost for forever.

• What about having an open and anonymous reporting repository for medical error stories online?

Such a repository of stories could be a resource for the health professions and families to search when they feel that their unexplained symptoms and signs are not making sense.

• What about a short follow-up documentary called Susan's Wish using the lens of medical error?

The impact of such a documentary could extend well beyond the missed diagnosis of Lewy body dementia.