Background

Differential diagnosis is a systematic process used to identify the proper diagnosis from a set of possible competing diagnoses.

Methods

The goal of this masterclass is to discuss the higher order thinking components of differential diagnosis.

Conclusions

For healthcare providers, diagnosis is one of many necessary components during the clinical decision making process and it is hallmarked by differentiation of competing structures for a definitive understanding of the underlying condition. The diagnostic process involves identifying or determining the etiology of a disease or condition through evaluation of patient history, physical examination, and review of laboratory data or diagnostic imaging; and the subsequent descriptive title of that finding. Whereas differential diagnosis is a varied skill set among all healthcare providers, the concept of a diagnosis is equally germane, regardless of one's background. In theory, a diagnosis improves the use of classification tools, improves clarity and communication, provides a trajectory of treatment, improves understanding of a person's prognosis, and in some cases, may be useful for preventative treatments. To achieve these improvements, one must have an understanding of relation of the clinical utility of tests and measures with diagnosis, and how to best implement these findings in clinical practice. This requires a deeper understanding (higher order thinking) of the role of diagnosis in the management of patients.

中文翻译：

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关于鉴别诊断的高级思考。

背景

鉴别诊断是一个系统的过程，用于从一组可能的竞争诊断中识别出正确的诊断。

方法

该大师班的目标是讨论差异诊断的高级思维成分。

结论

对于医疗保健提供者而言，诊断是临床决策过程中许多必要组成部分之一，其特征在于竞争结构的差异，从而可以对潜在病情有一个明确的了解。诊断过程包括通过评估患者病史，体格检查，检查实验室数据或诊断影像来确定或确定疾病或病状的病因。以及该发现的后续描述性标题。尽管差异诊断是所有医疗服务提供者之间的技能组合，但诊断的概念是同等重要的，无论其背景如何。从理论上讲，诊断可以改善分类工具的使用，改善清晰度和沟通能力，提供治疗轨迹，增进对人的疾病的了解 的预后，在某些情况下，对预防性治疗可能有用。为了实现这些改进，必须了解测试和措施的临床效用与诊断之间的关系，以及如何在临床实践中最佳地实施这些发现。这需要对诊断在患者管理中的作用有更深入的了解（更高层次的思考）。