Differential Diagnosis

Question 1

Why not just go with your first guess?

Answer 1

• Especially for beginners, this is wrong too often
• The most common conditions are not typically the most serious and the consequences of missing a serious diagnosis are higher
• Initial guesses are particularly subject to the availability heuristic

Question 2

availability heuristic

Answer 2

• Tendency to use information that comes to mind quickly and easily
• Favors recent or more memorable experiences

Question 3

Why not just make a list of all possibilities?

Answer 3

• Takes a long time and tends to be a confusingly long list without the extra possibilities adding value
• Can lead to unnecessary testing/diagnostic work-up

Question 4

Three things to consider for differential diagnosis

Answer 4

Probability
Prognosis
Pragmatism

Question 5

Prognosis

Answer 5

“must-not-miss” conditions – which conditions are worst if left unconsidered

Question 6

Pragmatism

Answer 6

what conditions have the best benefit: harm
ratio if treated

Question 7

When to Start Considering

Answer 7

Generally done after gathering a bit of information about the chief concern
- Will let you work with a more holistic sense of the patient’s concern
- Will allow you to better compare it with your disease illness scripts
- You will update this list later as more information becomes available

Question 8

• If you start too early, the list will tend to be pointlessly _____

Answer 8

long

Question 9

Differential diagnosis allows for the possibility that the initial beliefs about the diagnosis were ________, facilitating better decision-making

Answer 9

incorrect

Question 10

Differential diagnosis is aided by appropriate _________ __________

Answer 10

problem representation

Question 11

T of F: Beginners may create excessively long or extremely shortlists based on misconceptions about medical diagnoses (e.g. “possibilism” and/or insufficient compensation for the availability heuristic)

Answer 11

True!