Biomaterial Database

Diagnosis and general practice. 2000

N Summerton

Clinical Assessment Programme, University of Hull. N.Summerton@medschool.hull.ac.uk

This discussion paper presents the case for a rigorous diagnostic research agenda within primary care. In view of unique aspects of primary care medicine and the relatively unselected nature of the populations encountered by general practitioners, it is clear that diagnostic research undertaken in other settings may be inapplicable. Most diagnostic studies adopt designs that seek to compare items, or clusters of items, of clinical information against a gold standard. In order to enhance the feasibility and rigour of such research within primary care, suggestions are made about priorities and specific key methodological issues. It is essential that the information generated by primary care diagnostic research should be reliable, valid, useful, and useable within general practice. The ultimate objective must be the identification of specific items, or small clusters of items, of clinical information of high discriminant ability among the groups of patients encountered in general practice.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D012106	Research	Critical and exhaustive investigation or experimentation, having for its aim the discovery of new facts and their correct interpretation, the revision of accepted conclusions, theories, or laws in the light of newly discovered facts, or the practical application of such new or revised conclusions, theories, or laws. (Webster, 3d ed)	Research Priorities,Laboratory Research,Research Activities,Research and Development,Activities, Research,Activity, Research,Development and Research,Priorities, Research,Priority, Research,Research Activity,Research Priority,Research, Laboratory
D003657	Decision Making	The process of making a selective intellectual judgment when presented with several complex alternatives consisting of several variables, and usually defining a course of action or an idea.	Credit Assignment,Assignment, Credit,Assignments, Credit,Credit Assignments
D003933	Diagnosis	The determination of the nature of a disease or condition, or the distinguishing of one disease or condition from another. Assessment may be made through physical examination, laboratory tests, or the likes. Computerized programs may be used to enhance the decision-making process.	Diagnose,Diagnoses and Examination,Antemortem Diagnosis,Diagnoses and Examinations,Examinations and Diagnoses,Postmortem Diagnosis,Antemortem Diagnoses,Diagnoses,Diagnoses, Antemortem,Diagnoses, Postmortem,Diagnosis, Antemortem,Diagnosis, Postmortem,Examination and Diagnoses,Postmortem Diagnoses
D005194	Family Practice	A medical specialty concerned with the provision of continuing, comprehensive primary health care for the entire family.	Family Practices,Practice, Family,Practices, Family
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D015982	Bias	Any deviation of results or inferences from the truth, or processes leading to such deviation. Bias can result from several sources: one-sided or systematic variations in measurement from the true value (systematic error); flaws in study design; deviation of inferences, interpretations, or analyses based on flawed data or data collection; etc. There is no sense of prejudice or subjectivity implied in the assessment of bias under these conditions.	Aggregation Bias,Bias, Aggregation,Bias, Ecological,Bias, Statistical,Bias, Systematic,Ecological Bias,Outcome Measurement Errors,Statistical Bias,Systematic Bias,Bias, Epidemiologic,Biases,Biases, Ecological,Biases, Statistical,Ecological Biases,Ecological Fallacies,Ecological Fallacy,Epidemiologic Biases,Experimental Bias,Fallacies, Ecological,Fallacy, Ecological,Scientific Bias,Statistical Biases,Truncation Bias,Truncation Biases,Bias, Experimental,Bias, Scientific,Bias, Truncation,Biase, Epidemiologic,Biases, Epidemiologic,Biases, Truncation,Epidemiologic Biase,Error, Outcome Measurement,Errors, Outcome Measurement,Outcome Measurement Error