PATIENTS FOR PATIENT SAFETY US
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 16, 2026
PFPS US supports Bicameral, Bipartisan Legislation to Reduce Medical Misdiagnosis and improve Patient Reporting
Van Hollen, Luján, Beyer, Schrier, Van Drew Introduce Saving Lives and Reducing Health Care Waste by Improving Diagnosis in Medicine Act
SMYRNA, GA – Patients for Patient Safety US (PFPS US) applauds the leadership of U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and U.S. Representatives Don Beyer (D-Va.), Kim Schrier (D-Wash.) and Jeff Van Drew (R-N.J.), who yesterday introduced the Saving Lives and Reducing Health Care Waste by Improving Diagnosis in Medicine Act – bipartisan, bicameral legislation to address the alarming rate of medical diagnostic error in our country. The lawmakers’ legislation aims to prevent and mitigate the devastating impacts these errors can have, including misdiagnosis, delayed diagnosis, permanent disability, and death. Recent research published in March 2025 estimates that across health care settings, over 900,000 Americans a year suffer permanent harm or death because of diagnostic error. These findings build on a 2015 report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine that concluded most people will experience at least one diagnostic error in their lifetime, and it’s estimated that 80% of all harm caused by diagnostic error is preventable.
The text of the bill is available HERE
The Press Release put out by the sponsors is HERE
“Diagnostic errors are the most common, the most costly, and the most catastrophic of serious medical errors. Diagnostic errors stem from a wide variety of causes, including inadequate communication between providers, patients, and their families; the absence of metrics to gauge performance; limited feedback to clinicians; and system failures, like lost test results, which happened in my family,” said Sue Sheridan, President and CEO of Patients for Patient Safety US. “Much of the research to date has focused on defining the magnitude of the problem. This legislation moves us toward solutions that will equip clinicians, patients, and their families with the tools to achieve timely and correct diagnoses. It will save lives, prevent disabilities, and reduce costs to patients, families, and taxpayers. PFPS US commends Senators Van Hollen and Luján and Representatives Beyer, Schrier, and Van Drew for their leadership and willingness to take on difficult health care issues that others often overlook. We look forward to this bill moving through the legislative process and into law.”
The Saving Lives and Reducing Health Care Waste by Improving Diagnosis in Medicine Act would:
- Authorize a federal grant program for the establishment and maintenance of Research Centers of Diagnostic Excellence that advance research and progress in diagnostic quality, safety, and value in health care
- Require the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to develop a strategic plan to modernize federal approaches and mechanisms to enable patients and their families to voluntarily report experiences of diagnostic error
- Establish an Interagency Council on Improving Diagnosis in Health Care to:
- Enhance the quality, appropriateness, and effectiveness of diagnosis in health care;
- Identify and eliminate systemic barriers to supporting research in improving diagnosis in health care; and
- Identify knowledge gaps, research and data needs, and policies to strengthen the clinical and translational research pipeline to improve diagnostic safety and quality
“Patients and families are often the first to know when a diagnosis has gone wrong, yet our health care system has had no reliable way to hear from them and learn from what they experienced,” said Martin J. Hatlie, JD, Director for Policy and Advocacy of Patients for Patient Safety US. “This legislation would change that, making patients and families true partners in the national effort to improve diagnosis. I hope Congress will move this bipartisan bill forward without delay.”
Live from Stanford Health AI Week with Sue Sheridan
Recorded on location at Stanford Medicine’s Health AI Week, Matt Lungren and Justin Norden sit down with leaders from healthcare, life sciences, and industry to separate hype from progress in medical AI. Together, they explore where AI is already improving day-to-day work, from surfacing the right information at the right time to making tools that feel practical for clinicians and staff. The guests also dig into what it will take to prove impact at scale, including how organizations should measure outcomes, manage change, and fund the most promising use cases. The episode closes with a look at how AI could reshape research and clinical trials and what responsible adoption should prioritize.
PFPS US
Patients for Patient Safety US (PFPS US) is a patient-led, non-profit organization of dedicated individuals and organizations united in the mission to enhance patient safety for all Americans.
MISSION
To unite patients, families, and stakeholders to improve diagnostic accuracy, advance patient safety, and eliminate health disparities through research, policy, advocacy, and technology.
VISION
A world in which no one is harmed in health care, and every patient receives safe and respectful care every time, everywhere.
What We Do
Advocacy and policy in healthcare are closely interconnected concepts that together shape how healthcare organizations function, how care is delivered and paid for, what medicines or devices can be used to treat patients, how patient privacy is protected, and how health is maintained and continuously improved.
We are committed to advancing research that centers patient and family experiences, particularly in areas where harm is most prevalent, such as diagnostic safety and the dismissal of patient concerns.
In the rapidly evolving field of health technology, we are at the forefront of advancing responsible AI in healthcare.
Together, these efforts reflect PFPS US’s integrated approach to achieving zero harm in healthcare, combining patient-driven advocacy, rigorous research and measures, policy leadership, and technological innovation to create a safer, more equitable system for all.
Did You Know...
Medical errors are the third leading cause of death in the United States.
Diagnostic errors cause death and disability in approximately 800,000 patients annually and costs the healthcare system up to 17% of all healthcare costs.
Medical and diagnostic errors disproportionately impact vulnerable populations.
