The Diagnostic Process: A Model for Clinical TeachersThis book examining diagnosis was first published in 1985. Diagnosis is at the centre of medical practice and depends on skilled information processing and decision making. Medical students, who will spend their working lives gathering information from patients, making decisions and solving problems need to be taught the necessary techniques. One aim of the book is, therefore, to give teachers an account of some of the basic ideas which have been applied to the diagnostic process and to medical problem solving in general. Another aim is to make teachers more aware of the principles underlying their clinical work, for it has been shown repeatedly that clinicians' actions do not always coincide with their teaching and there is a distinct gap between what they do and what they teach. This introduction to the fundamental concepts of information processing and decision making is written at a level which makes it appropriate reading for those who have not previously read widely in these areas. It will be of interest to clinical teachers in medical and allied health professions. |
Contents
Problems of the scientific approach | 8 |
an overview | 16 |
Data gathering | 28 |
Limitations on data handling | 42 |
introduction | 49 |
rational models | 56 |
descriptive models | 87 |
Individual differences | 107 |
Research methods | 116 |
The diagnostic process | 124 |
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Common terms and phrases
able affect alternative arteriovenous malformation aspect assessment Balla base rates brain tumour carcinoma cardiac cent chest pain choice clinical features clinicians concepts correct critical cues CT scan data collection deal decision maker decision rules decision theory decision trees demonstrated depend diag diagnosis diagnostic process difficult disease doctor early hypotheses Elstein enced encyclopaedic knowledge errors evidence examination findings example expert falsifiable headache hypothesis important individual information processing instance investigations lack learning logical look mation method multiple sclerosis negative neurologist novice observer obtained outcome P(SD papilloedema paraplegia patient plantar response population predictive value present prior probability prob probabilistic probability estimates problem solving refers regarded relevant reliability result scientific significance Simulated patients simulation situation sort stage subdural suggest surgery symptoms Table task teaching techniques tend textbook theory trigeminal neuralgia understanding upper motor neurone utility vignettes vitamin B12 weighting of cues X-rays