3.1.2—Practitioner diagnosis and style

3.1.2 Practitioner diagnosis and style.

• practitioner diagnosis focusing on making a diagnosis (disclosure of information, false positive and false negative diagnosis) and presenting a diagnosis.
• practitioner style: doctor-centred (directed) and patient-centred (sharing) consultation (exemplified by the following key study).
• Key study for the effect of practitioner style on patient satisfaction: Savage and Armstrong (1990).
• Relevant issues and debates and methodology for this topic include: application to everyday life, individual and situational explanations, cultural differences, determinism versus free-will, validity.

This matters because —practitioner diagnosis and style determines what can be inferred or chosen; begin with the stated conditions and keep the conclusion tied to the evidence.

Example: apply —practitioner diagnosis and style to one small, clearly defined case, show the key step or comparison, and explain the result in words.

Boundary: —Practitioner diagnosis and style is not a universal recommendation. Check the syllabus scope, assumptions, units and the limits of the evidence before generalising.