Medical misdiagnosis is one of the biggest healthcare safety concerns in the United States today according to The Institute of Medicine. It is an immense and costly problem. Globally, misdiagnosis is responsible for millions of patient deaths every year; in the U.S., about 100,000 people die every year because of misdiagnosis (Leavitt & Leavitt, 2011). Misdiagnosis also affects the economy by raising the already high price of healthcare delivery. "Life Savers" is written to educate the public, as "consumers" of healthcare services, on how to become knowledgeable about their medical conditions through the use diagnostic software. It empowers patients with necessary diagnostic tools to make sense of their symptoms and change the way they speak to their doctors forever. This book is a research-based study that provides empirical insights into how technology, particularly the use of diagnostic software, can improve medical outcomes for patients. The role of diagnostic software, as discussed in this book, is not meant to be replacement systems for the doctors, but rather a proposal of healthy partnerships between doctors, patients and software to complement their efforts to make quick and more accurate diagnoses of diseases in patients.
