Diagnosis through imaging: generation, detection, and classification

Diagnosis is so much a part of medical practice that is function is second nature to physicians, who diagnose repeatedly without giving much thought as to how it works or the kinds of information it generates. Theoretical attributes of the process are of no practical concern to most physicians, as long as diagnosis serves well the purposes of patient care. In this era of accounting for costs and being accountable for quality care, a deeper understanding may be necessary if we are to improve the use of diagnostic procedures, especially in the selection of imaging modalities, the technology of which has proliferated into a variety of sophisticated systems that produce a complex mass of information. Therefore, a look at diagnosis from a more basic perspective may be of more than passing interest to practicing physicians. The above-stated unifying principles elucidate basic attributes of diagnosis and provide an understanding that should aid in the selection of procedures.