special subjects
Medical Testing Decisions
Introduction
Because many different diseases can cause the same symptoms, it can be challenging for doctors and other primary care practitioners to identify the cause. Doctors first gather basic information by talking to and examining the person. Often, this is all that is needed to make a diagnosis. At the very least, the basic information narrows the list of possibilities and limits the number of tests that need to be done. Ordering tests without first narrowing down the list of possibilities can be costly, increase the risk of an incorrect diagnosis, and expose people to undue risk (see Does Everyone Need a Test? ). (See also Overview of Medical Decision Making and 