Abstract

SUAREZ RIVERO, Birsy; BLANCO ASPIAZU, Miguel Ángel; MORALES JIMENEZ, Emilio  and  SUAREZ RIVERO, Alujy. Relation between diagnostic certainty and errors in complementary studies. Rev Cub Med Mil [online]. 2012, vol.41, n.2, pp. 183-190. ISSN 0138-6557.

Introduction: with the impetuous development of technology, a situation has arisen in which a considerable number of physicians and patients have lost their confidence in clinical interviews, physical examination and clinical reasoning, and overestimate the use of medical technology for diagnostic purposes. It is not uncommon that a small abnormality found in a complementary test is given more importance than the patient's clinical status. Objective: determine the relation between errors in complementary studies and diagnostic certainty. Methods: a descriptive study was conducted based on the indication of complementary studies by 36 internal medicine specialists. Results: the three most common errors found in complementary examinations were the use of routines, unnecessary studies and not informing results to the patient. The differences found between the groups as to diagnostic certainty were not statistically significant. Conclusions: the most common errors in the use of complementary examinations are evidence of faulty clinical reasoning before their indication. None of the errors identified was significantly associated with diagnostic certainty. Indication and evaluation of complementary studies should be linked to diagnostic reasoning, to prevent the indication of routines and unnecessary studies.

Keywords : diagnostic certainty; complementary studies; criteria for the indication of complementary studies.

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