What Is the Meaning of Collaborative Diagnosis?

When you are dealing with a medical condition, it is important to get the best information possible to know how to proceed with treatment. While your doctor is probably well-qualified, he can't know every nuance of your condition. Luckily, technology is making collaborative diagnosis possible.

Definition

• Collaborative diagnosis is defined as a diagnosis in which two or more physicians share information and expertise, working together to combine their experience and expertise for the benefit of the patient. Collaborative diagnosis is most often done among specialists or for complicated diseases where more information is necessary to make an adequate assessment.

Technology

• Collaborative diagnosis makes use of the Internet and electronic medical records to send medical data around the world. As of 2010, hospitals input patient information into centralized databases accessible by any doctor or department in their managing organizations. All IHC hospitals in Utah and Idaho, for example, have access to other IHC hospitals and patient records. These can then be shared with doctors or hospitals outside the IHC network in order to collaborate for a better diagnosis.

Significance

• Collaborative diagnosis is a significant medical development. Instead of sending patients to a handful of physicians for testing and diagnosis, the patient can remain in the care of her particular doctor or specialist. By electronic means, the other specialists on the team can assess the records and make recommendations in a more convenient and inexpensive way.