ABSTRACT
Medical diagnosis is widely understood to be an intellectually complex task, but, in this chapter, it is also shown as the product of a complex social process involving individuals who vary in status and area of expertise. The author reveals this social component by examining the discourse that occurs as medical experts evaluate clinical evidence in order to arrive at a satisfactory diagnosis and treatment plan. This discourse shows how diagnoses arise out of social interaction as physicians exchange observations and assess their credibility. Because physicians learn to assess the value of medical information on the basis of its association with a trusted human source, information systems designed to aid medical decision making must somehow incorporate evidence of the their own credibility.
