Question

why are all eight o the diagnostic categories so important to the diagnostic process? is it possible to make a diagnosis using just one or two of the categories?

Answer 1

The diagnostic process has three broad categories :-

1. Initial Diagnostic Assessment – Patient history, physical examination ,evaluation of the patient’s chief complaint and symptoms, forming a differential diagnosis, and ordering of diagnostic tests

2. Diagnostic Testing – Performance, interpretation, and communication of test results

3. Referral, Consultation, Treatment & Follow-Up – Physician follow-up, referrals and consults, discharge process and patient compliance

These three categories has main eight points to be followed while making a diagnosis of a patient . All these eight steps of the these three categories are necessary to be followed to make a proper diagnosis . Every step in this process has equal importance and has to be followed to make correct decision and diagnosis to initiate the treatment . Use of just one or two points of the categories is not sufficient to make the diagnosis correctly and it will lead to many mistakes and patient will not be treated correctly and it will cause harm to the patient ,hence the productivity and outcome of patient will be affected .