ABSTRACT
Without prognosis, diagnosis is just Godknowsis. The only possible precaution we can take - and it is only a precaution, because general practice is the art of managing uncertainty - is to build into our hypothesis-testing a back-up process for detecting those occasions when we have got it wrong. Every time we make a working diagnosis and draft a provisional management plan, we should at the same time attempt to make some predictions, and ask ourselves three questions: If I'm right, what do I expect to happen? How will I know if I'm wrong? What would I do then? These three questions form general practice's SAFETY-NET. No patient is safe in our care unless the consultation includes them. When the answers to these questions are in place, you are at the SAFETY-NETTING checkpoint.
