Quantifying the measurement of differential diagnosis

Differential diagnosis is central to the work and training of all health care professionals. To develop solid differential diagnosis and skills, students required practice diagnosing numerous and varied patients. In the absence of real patients, patient simulations are commonly used to provide this range of diagnostic experiences. This study examined the benefits of interactive patient simulations on the diagnostic approaches of beginning dental students (novices) and practicing dentists (experts). The study tested the hypothesis that novices tend to use trial-and-error, while experts tend to use pattern recognition during differential diagnosis. a second goal of the study explored objective and subjective measures of a differential diagnosis approach. Seventy-five subjects comprised two treatment groups: a novice group and an expert group. Each group completed ten patient simulations and a case study test measured the diagnostic approach. A three factor MANOVA (p>0.05) was followed by univariate ANOVA's. The result indicated differences between the diagnostic approaches of experts and novices and that the subjective Ratings and the objective Maximum Decisions and Average Variation variables were the best measures of a differential diagnostic approach.