Diagnosis and diagnostic testing in primary care

摘要

Rational use of diagnostic tests for individual patients is a core skill required of every GP. Despite the widespread acknowledgement that competency in the understanding and application of diagnostic tests is important, medical curricula at undergraduate and postgraduate level do not place substantial emphasis on development and assessment of quantitative diagnostic knowledge and skills, certainly when compared to assessment of competency in therapeutics. This has led some commentators to call for revision in assessment of clinical competencies, so that a greater emphasis is placed on diagnostic competency in postgraduate medical training.1