Imagine going to the doctor’s office for a constant migraine and getting results that it is nothing more than stress headaches

Then you find out months later that the real diagnosis is a tumor.

This scenario happens all around the world at numerous hospitals because some doctors do not always run the proper tests to make an accurate diagnosis. To combat the issue, doctors should have a larger body of evidence before a treatment is prescribed to prevent potential deaths due to a misdiagnosis.

Misdiagnosis cases account for 40,000 to 80,000 hospital deaths per year, according to Johns Hopkins patient safety experts in a Bottom Line Publications article. These deaths could be prevented with more tests, closer observations and background checks.

Patients rely on their doctors to tell them what is wrong and to provide a treatment for whatever illness they may have. Patients put all their trust into their doctors to ensure that they are getting all the right information. It is not fair to the patient, nor is it professional for the doctors, when an incorrect diagnosis is given.

A large part of the doctor-patient relationship is trust in the patient to follow orders and for patients to respect the doctor’s opinions and recommendations. That said, not many people question what their doctors conclude, which can then lead to needless deaths in some cases.

The top five commonly misdiagnosed diseases that doctors usually misinterpret according to CNN are: aortic dissection, which is a tearing sensation in the chest that can be overlooked as heartburn; cancer, since doctors do not always follow cancer-screening guidelines; clogged arteries, which doctors mistake coronary artery disease for patients being out of shape; a heart attack, when oftentimes the only signs are nausea and fullness in the chest; and infections.

All of these diseases can be overlooked, as well as many others, but one easy way to avoid the mishaps and confusions at the doctor’s office is to simply demand for more testing or see more than one specialist.

Patients rarely demand more testing and most of the time only do so when the condition is fairly serious. Famous actor and comedian John Ritter died from an aortic dissection, a disease his widow claimed was misdiagnosed twice, according to CNN.

If patients actually took the time to question their doctors and clarify conclusions, then there would be fewer deaths from misdiagnosis.

Patients should not have to find out that their first diagnosis was incorrect. All patients pay money and trust that their doctors will prescribe the right treatments the first time.

The process of finding out what is wrong with a patient’s body is not only the responsibility of the doctors, but of also that of the patient.

-Marissa Mararac is a junior communication major from Tacoma. She can be contacted at 335-2290 or by [email protected]. The opinions expressed in this Column are not necessarily those of the staff of The Daily Evergreen or those of Student Publications.