Diagnosis Terms

Abstract

This chapter considers diagnosis in its sense as a term within formal classifications. It argues that classifications are indispensable and work best for conditions that can be described precisely and objectively using the biomedical model of disease. It argues that diagnostic terms may have hidden layers of meaning, reflecting individual or cultural beliefs. It suggests that these unspoken meanings influence the outcome of treatment, and that harmful misunderstandings are not unusual. It argues that classifications are less clear when disease is defined by a threshold value on a spectrum consisting of phenomena that are also experienced by people who feel well, and that this difficulty can contribute to overdiagnosis. It argues that, in these circumstances, it is of paramount importance that doctors should inform and involve patients in decisions about treatment. It recognizes the value of the patient-centred approach but argues that this does not resolve all the dilemmas.