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To test or not to test: a clinical dilemma
1Department of Philosophy, University of Wyoming, Laramie 82071-3392, USA.
Theoretical Medicine
|June 1, 1995
Summary
Clinicians may not always need to perform extensive diagnostic tests. Factors like diagnostic confidence, test accuracy, and potential harm influence decisions, differing from scientific hypothesis testing standards.
Area of Science:
- Medical Ethics
- Clinical Decision-Making
- Diagnostic Testing
Background:
- Clinical diagnoses are often treated with high certainty.
- The rigorous evidential standards of scientific hypotheses are typically applied to diagnostic processes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To argue that clinicians are sometimes justified in withholding or limiting diagnostic tests.
- To explore the factors influencing the decision to conduct diagnostic tests.
Main Methods:
- The paper presents a philosophical argument regarding diagnostic practices.
- It involves weighing various factors in clinical decision-making.
Main Results:
- Clinicians' decisions on testing involve a complex evaluation of multiple factors.
- These factors include diagnostic confidence, test characteristics (sensitivity, specificity), consequences of misdiagnosis, and the burden/cost of testing.
Conclusions:
- Diagnostic processes are not always equivalent to scientific hypothesis testing.
- Evidential standards for diagnoses can differ from those for scientific hypotheses, justifying less extensive testing in certain clinical scenarios.