Junior staff experience with a decision aid for differential diagnosis of jaundice

The Copenhagen pocket diagnostic chart can be used for early differentiation between obstructive and non-obstructive causes of jaundice. We present a reevaluation of the chart being used by a recently graduated physician and by two medical students. Non-error rates of 84-87% were found indicating that the students and the physician performed equally well. As to the observer error, the students and the physician typically differed on 0-2 of the chart's 21 items. This disagreement did not lead to a confident obstructive diagnosis being changed into a diagnosis of non-obstruction, or vice versa.