Diagnostic Medical Help

Diagnostic medicine helps determine disease and injuries as well as their appropriate course of treatment. Diagnostic medical tests are performed by doctors, nurses and technicians and can be minimal or invasive. Diagnostic medicine may be performed on an inpatient or outpatient basis.

Types

• According to Harvard Medical School, medical diagnostic tests can include blood pressure tests, pulse tests, urine tests, fecal tests, blood tests, saliva tests, medical imaging (x-rays, MRIs, CAT scans), electrocardiograms, nerve conduction tests, hydrogen breath tests and biopsies.

Function

• Traditionally, a person experiencing pain or symptoms will go to his family care doctor or a specialist for treatment. The medical provider conducts a medical history and a physical exam, then formulates a possible diagnosis. Normally, further testing is used to clarify, confirm or decide on a medical diagnosis.

Limitations

• Medical diagnostic testing can lead to over-diagnosis or a misdiagnosis. An over-diagnosis may diagnosis a problem that has never caused a patient symptoms nor will ever cause a patient symptoms in their lifetime. The diagnosis is essentially irrelevant. Testing may also lead to a misdiagnosis. This can be because the disease has not reached a stage where it is able to be noticed through diagnostic testing. Diagnostic testing can also be very expensive, according to Harvard Medical School.