Medical Data and Semiology

Abstract

Expressions such as “data acquisition” or “gathering information” are employed frequently in the practice of medicine. They may lead one to believe that information is readily available, and it is sufficient to gather it to make a diagnosis and propose a treatment. Indeed, a seemingly objective parameter such as a biological dosage can only be interpreted, in other words become information, by considering the motivation for the prescription, the blood sampling conditions, the method used for measuring, etc. A symptom or a clinical or radiological sign is the result of a complex decision-making process. Health professionals are constantly led to consider one or several hypotheses, then to search for elements that can either confirm or refute them. The hypotheses that are retained will serve as the basis for developing more synthetic information and for making decisions.