(NewsNation) — Medical misdiagnoses kill or disable nearly 800,000 people in the U.S. every year, according to new research from Johns Hopkins Medicine.
The top five most misdiagnosed diseases yearly are stroke, sepsis, pneumonia, blood clots and lung cancer. When they aren’t diagnosed correctly, patients end up permanently injured or even dead.
Researchers from the Johns Hopkins Armstrong Institute Center for Diagnostic Excellence analyzed studies covering about 22 million medical records. The found diagnostic mistakes account for 371,000 deaths per year and 424,000 permanent disabilities.
Peter Pitts, president of the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest and former FDA associate commissioner, said on NewsNation’s “Morning in America” that many doctors “have their hands tied” by insurance companies that refuse to cover the costs of diagnostic tests or second opinions.
“They want the patient to be in and out of the office as quickly as possible, and I think that’s really at the root of the problem,” he said. “Doctors are feeling the pressure to be rushed to get the patients out of the room and get to the next one, and that’s got to be addressed. It’s serious business.”
Pitts said it’s “a team effort” and patients “need to be part of the solution” by providing a concise summary of their issues and asking questions.
“When you’re talking to your doctor about a serious medical condition, or really about any medical condition, the more information, the more truthful information you can give your doctor the better,” he said. “That means that the doctor has a more holistic view of what your problem can be.”
He added: “However, I do get concerned when doctors say just relax and do what I tell you don’t ask me questions; that’s going in the wrong direction. It’s a team effort here. On one end, patients have to give solid information. On the other hand, doctors have to be willing to take advice from patients as well as the other way around.”
Pitts also suggests every patient ask doctors, “Why do you think this is the right diagnosis, what else might it be?” after receiving a diagnosis.