Discuss About The Differential Diagnosis Process

Discuss About The Differential Diagnosis Process

Discussion

Differential Diagnosis (DD) is a deliberate and systematic process utilized by healthcare providers in the identification of appropriate diagnosis from a myriad of potential competing diagnosis. Cook and Décary (2020) indicated that the differential diagnosis process is important in the clinical reasoning decision-making of triage nurses during telephone conversations with callers since it involves a comprehensive analysis of the patient history, review of laboratory data, medical history, and physical examination to reach the right clinical decision regarding the etiology of the health condition or disease.  Similarly, Wouters et al. (2020) established that securing the appropriate diagnosis by telephone triage nurses is a vital component of urgency assessment since it not only involves information-gathering but also clinical reasoning to help the triage nurses in determining the health problem experienced by a patient, particularly where multiple alternatives are possible. Papazoglou (2020) noted that the process of conducting differential diagnosis by the triage nurses relies on a comprehensive examination of the warning signs and symptoms, evaluation and calculation of risk factors, adoption of relevant diagnostic criteria and the use of scientific inquiry to exclude the unlikely and refine the clinical decision. Conducting a comprehensive differential diagnosis may help in reducing the diagnosis errors that are more likely to contribute to unnecessary harmful treatment, cause harm by patients by delaying or preventing suitable treatment, and contributing to financial and psychological consequences (Kaboli et al., 2021)Discuss About The Differential Diagnosis Process. Therefore, the clinical reasoning and decision-making of triage nurses can assist in attaining optimal triage of caller suspected of experiencing certain conditions or disease through the identification of highly-urgent cases.

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There are numerous differential diagnosis processes that can be conducted in the clinical practice involving a telephone triage nurse. First, diagnostic imaging tests are one of the most common types of diagnostic testing used in clinical practice (Liyan & Zhang, 2021). In terms of benefits, medical imaging through the deployment of emerging imaging technologies is extensively used by healthcare practitioners in the diagnosis, detection and treatment of health conditions such as brain tumors (Cook & Décary, 2020). Some of the available emerging imaging technologies options include remote patient monitoring and telehealth (such as virtual medical appointments, electronic health record management, and point-of-care tests), which can be utilized to offer relevant information and data on the condition or disease affecting a patient (Kaboli et al., 2021)Discuss About The Differential Diagnosis Process. However, a key risk is related to the inability of remote diagnostic imaging to offer vital or sufficient information due to specificity and sensitivity parameters.

The second DD process is conducting laboratory test. Gamsizkan et al. (2022) indicated that clinical laboratory tests ordered by the triage nurse in the emergency department (ED) can be performed urine or blood to determine conditions with similar warning signs and/or symptoms. In terms of benefits, triage-nurse ordered lab testing and procedures can offer vital information on the condition or disease, and hence key to enhancing patient outcomes. However, the process can be expensive and complicated, and hence the increased risk of diagnostic errors. The third DD process as identified in the reviewed literature is telephone referral and consultations (Wouters et al., 2020). With regards to benefits, the utilization of telephone referrals and consultations can assist qualified triage nurse to seek additional expertise or second opinion regarding the health condition of a patient and available treatment options in a safe and convenient manner (Papazoglou, 2020)Discuss About The Differential Diagnosis Process. However, diagnostic consultations through telephones may be time-consuming, characterized by diagnostic uncertainty and may prove quite challenging in aging patients due to the existence of numerous comorbidities, impairments and medications.

References

Cook, C. E., & Décary, S. (2020). Higher order thinking about differential diagnosis. Brazilian Journal of Physical Therapy, 24(1), 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bjpt.2019.01.010

Gamsizkan, Z., Kaya, A., Davran, F., Çalişkan, E., Ünlü, E., & Ünal, S. (2022). The use of predictive laboratory tests in rapid triage of COVID-19 pandemic outpatient clinic patients. Clinical Laboratory, 68(03/2022). https://doi.org/10.7754/clin.lab.2021.210521

Kaboli, P. J., Augustine, M. R., Rose, D. E., Chawla, N., Bouchard, M., & Hebert, P. (2021). Call center remote triage by nurse practitioners was associated with fewer subsequent face-to-face healthcare visits. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 36(8), 2315-2322. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-020-06536-0

Liyan, J. & Zhang, M.L., (2021).Exploration on the effectiveness of communication skills intervention in outpatient triage nursing. (2021). Foreign Language Science and Technology Journal Database Medicine and Health. https://doi.org/10.47939/mh.v2i10.132

Papazoglou, E. (2020). The diagnostic process. Don’t Wait and See!, 21-62. https://doi.org/10.1093/med-psych/9780190081300.003.0002

Wouters, L. T., Zwart, D. L., Erkelens, D. C., Huijsmans, M., Hoes, A. W., Damoiseaux, R. A., Rutten, F. H., & Groot, E. (2020). Tinkering and overruling the computer decision support system: Working strategies of telephone triage nurses who assess the urgency of callers suspected of having an acute cardiac event. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 29(7-8), 1175-1186. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.15168 Discuss About The Differential Diagnosis Process

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Discuss the differential diagnosis (DD) process. Identify 3 different DD processes used in clinical practice. Describe the risks/benefits of these 3 processes.
Responses to peers should include examples from your clinical setting and case studies from the literature to contribute to the discussion.
My clinical setting is telephone advise nurse/Triage nurse, so please include this settings in the examples.

Please complete this assignment before the other one I sent Discuss About The Differential Diagnosis Process