ABSTRACT

The diagnostic interaction between the patient and their doctor is not a passive process. Primary care diagnostics entails general practitioners developing an awareness of both the validity and the reliability of the clinical information provided by or obtained from patients and learning how to use it more rationally. In some cases, a management decision can be made based only on the history, whereas in other situations the patient might need to be examined or appropriate investigations arranged. Diagnosis raises some awkward dilemmas about the appropriate use of new technologies and scientific evidence, the interface between diagnosis and screening together with doctors' abilities to make rational judgements in a situation of uncertainty. Primary care diagnostics is also of relevance to those charged with commissioning diagnostic services. This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts covered in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book represents a personal journey in which the author has attempted to improve his/her own diagnostic skills.