Hoffman, Paul J.2025-01-292025-01-291972https://hdl.handle.net/1794/3036527 pagesThe primary task of clinical diagnosis is that of collecting , evaluating, and assimilating information with respect to the patient. The starting point is the information itself; this may be in the form of laboratory test results, biographical data, scores on psychological tests, manifest symptoms, or other observables. The end result is a judgment; this may take the form of a recommendation concerning treatment or discharge, a decision that certain other data are necessary before final judgment is made, or a classification of the patient into a diagnostic category. What intervenes between beginning and end is, for each clinician, a quite complex idiosyncratic process . It is the purpose of this paper to demonstrate that the process is capable of rigorous investigation and description.en-USCreative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0-USclinical judgement, clinical diagnosis, judgement, mental process, relative weightsOther