Lets Send that to the Lab!: Technology and Diagnosis (extracted from chapter 10 of Diagnosis in Contemporary Society by John Gardner) Diagnostic technologies are not infallible. The rapid test, the automatic hematology analyser, and the EKG stress test can all produce misleading results. Nevertheless, we tend to think that if a diagnosis has been made with a complex, expensive technology, it is likely to be accurate. (R)resolving uncertainty is one of the primary purposes of diagnosis. If clinicians and patients are convinced that an accurate diagnosis has been made, they will have confidence to move forward with a particular course of action, like a treatment plan for example. Diagnostic technologies should provide information that makes it easier for clinicians to make decisions about what to do next. But the diagnostic technologies involved in many types of screening convey information that is based on probability rather than certainty....This is particularly true in the realm of genetic diagnostics, where presymptomatic patients are told they might develop a disease in the future, a situation that occurs when the disease is multigenetic...So while many diagnostic technologies can make decision making easier, some have brought about an environment that is more challenging and potentially more stressful for patients. How does diagnostic technology contribute to/detract from the experience of illness? nytimes/interactive/2012/10/05/health/digital-doctor.html?module=Search&mabReward=relbias%3As%2C%7B%222%22%3A%22RI%3A18%22%7D&_r=0
Posted on: Sun, 31 Aug 2014 19:42:42 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015