We explain what diagnosis means and in what areas this term is used. Medical, social, business, differential diagnosis and more.
What is a diagnosis?
The diagnosis is a orderly, systematic procedure to know, to clearly establish a circumstancebased on observations and specific data. The diagnosis always involves an evaluation, with assessment of actions in relation to objectives. The term includes in its root the Greek word 'gnosis', what does it mean knowledge.
Andrade de Souza's definition of diagnosis: «A method of knowledge and analysis of the performance of a company or institution, internally and externally, so that it can facilitate decision making«.
Carrying out a proper diagnosis requires certain skills on the part of the person who is going to do it or competencies, among which we can mention theoretical knowledge on the subject, logical reasoning, concentration, experience and a great ability to observe objectively, and to relate different data.
Medical diagnosis is the most common and best-known use of the termin which faced with a person who shows certain symptoms (for example, fever, cough, sneezing, chills), the doctor must determine what may be the cause that produces these symptoms. That is, you must diagnose (that is, identify) the disease based on current symptoms, medical history and, in some cases, complementary tests (x-rays, blood tests, etc.).
From this basic usage, The use of the term has been extrapolated to other areasalthough in all cases the central idea of “systematic procedure that allows identifying a problem” is maintained. For example, it may be necessary to make a diagnosis of why a company is not doing well, why there are school dropouts in a certain place, why few students graduate from a given university, why people change prepaid medical insurance. , etc.
See also: Phobia
Other types of diagnosis
Other specific cases of diagnosis will be mentioned below:
- Psychodiagnosis. It refers to a process carried out by psychologists and psychopedagogues, generally within the framework of educational institutions, to detect psychological problems that can affect the normal learning of children.
- Differential diagnosis. Perhaps one of the greatest challenges for medical professionals is to distinguish diseases that present with a very similar clinical and/or laboratory picture; In these cases, doctors must make a differential diagnosis, sometimes supported by a rule-out procedure.
- Social diagnosis. Sometimes the services of a social worker are requested to evaluate a person's family situation; In that case, it is common for the social worker to visit your home, see what amenities you have and what you lack, to get an idea of your most immediate needs (for example, an allowance).
- Diagnostic imaging. It includes all those medical tools that manage to obtain images of the body and through the analysis of these images the diagnosis of diseases or injuries is facilitated. It ranges from x-rays to CT scans, ultrasounds, MRIs, etc.
