Diagnosis

Book excerpt: "This chapter shows how the process of clinical diagnosis requires first establishing a therapeutic alliance between the patient and the physician and then drawing on, and evaluating, both qualitative and quantitative forms of evidence. Although clinical diagnosis is a technical process that requires an understanding of scientific study design, probability theory and statistical analysis, is not only technical, but also relational, as it starts with the relationship between the patient and the physician. In fact, very often, getting to a correct diagnosis directly depends upon the way in which the physician navigates this relationship: if a doctor is dismissive of her patient's concerns she risks cutting the patient off too quickly, and possibly missing important pieces of evidence that could lead to a timely and accurate diagnosis"--