Abstract
The clinical problems encountered in a typical family practice are different from those in the limited specialities. Symptomatic, poorly defined illnesses are encountered in addition to a broad spectrum of clinically recognizable diseases. Cassell has written that disease “is something an organ has; illness is something a man has.”1 The goal of the clinical process in family practice is also frequently different. Much of the time, a diagnosis, defined as the placing of an etiologic label on the patient’s problem, cannot be easily made. Since many patients are seen who have self-limiting disorders, a precise diagnosis is not always necessary, and excluding the possibility of a serious illness is sometimes sufficient.
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Wall, E.M. (1988). Clinical Reasoning and Problem Management. In: Taylor, R.B. (eds) Family Medicine. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-1998-7_8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-1998-7_8
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