Inference
Inference (Medicine)
Inference (pronunciation: /ɪnˈfɛrəns/) in the field of medicine refers to the process of drawing conclusions based on evidence and reasoning. It is a critical aspect of medical diagnosis and treatment planning.
Etymology
The term 'inference' originates from the Latin word 'inferre', which means 'to bring in'. In the context of medicine, it refers to bringing in evidence and reasoning to draw conclusions.
Definition
Inference in medicine is the process by which healthcare professionals draw conclusions based on the information available to them. This can include patient history, physical examination findings, and results from diagnostic tests. The inference process is critical in forming a diagnosis, determining a treatment plan, and predicting patient outcomes.
Related Terms
- Deductive reasoning: A type of inference where general principles are applied to specific situations. For example, if a patient has symptoms A, B, and C, and disease X is known to cause symptoms A, B, and C, then the patient may be inferred to have disease X.
- Inductive reasoning: A type of inference where specific observations are used to form general conclusions. For example, if a group of patients with disease Y all respond positively to treatment Z, then it may be inferred that treatment Z is effective for disease Y.
- Abductive reasoning: A type of inference where the best explanation is chosen based on the available information. For example, if a patient has symptom A and symptom B, and disease X is known to cause symptom A and disease Y is known to cause symptom B, then the best inference may be that the patient has both diseases X and Y.
- Clinical decision making: The process of making decisions about patient care, which often involves inference.
- Diagnostic reasoning: The process of determining a patient's diagnosis, which involves inference.
- Prognostic reasoning: The process of predicting a patient's outcome, which involves inference.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Inference
- Wikipedia's article - Inference
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