Themes in diagnostic decision making

The diagnosis of communication disorders is a complex clinical task that can have significant clinical, social, and economic consequences for the patient. This issue is about the conceptual process by which clinicians perform this important clinical task. Through the presentation of ten clinical cases, experienced clinicians illustrate a variety of diagnostic decision-making approaches that can be used to answer important clinical questions. In this initial article, the diagnostic themes that have emerged from these cases are summarized and four diagnostic strategies that can be used in making clinical diagnoses are discussed.