Clinical medicine is a field that often sounds straightforward but encompasses a vast array of content. Primarily focused on the clinical aspect, doctors rely on patients' clinical manifestations and relevant examinations to determine the underlying causes of their illnesses. Through targeted treatment and prevention measures, doctors aim to maximize the alleviation of patients' symptoms and improve their overall health. Let's delve into the meaning of clinical medicine.

What is Clinical Medicine?

Clinical medicine, as the term suggests, involves a hands-on approach to patient care. It focuses on understanding the etiology, pathogenesis, and pathological processes of diseases based on patients' clinical presentations. This understanding leads to accurate diagnoses, which then guide prevention and treatment strategies aimed at minimizing the impact of the disease, relieving patient discomfort, restoring health, and safeguarding their ability to work. In essence, clinical medicine is the science of directly addressing diseases and treating patients.

Clinical Diagnosis

1. Basic Process:

• Diagnosis: Conducting a thorough history-taking, physical examination, and selective adjunctive tests to gather comprehensive and accurate clinical data.
• Analysis: Synthesizing the collected data to form a conclusive diagnosis.
• Verification: Validating the diagnosis through treatment or other means.

2. Basic Questions:

• Is the individual seeking medical attention actually ill?
• Is the illness organic or functional?
• Is the etiology of the disease clear, and is it singular or multifactorial?
• Are there any complications associated with the disease?
• Is the disease acute or chronic?
• Are there any life-threatening symptoms or signs?
• What is the patient's functional status?
• Is the disease benign or malignant?
• Are adjunctive tests necessary and feasible?
• Are the test results consistent with the clinical impression?
• Does the treatment outcome support the diagnosis?

3. Basic Forms:

• Etiological diagnosis
• Pathological anatomical diagnosis
• Pathophysiological diagnosis
• Comprehensive diagnosis
• Impression-based temporary diagnosis for cases where a definitive diagnosis is temporarily unattainable

4. Thinking Methods:

• Procedural diagnosis
• Differential diagnosis
• Catalogued diagnosis
• Exclusion diagnosis

5. Methods and Techniques:

• History-taking: Includes interviews and reviewing medical records
• Physical examination: Involves visual inspection, palpation, auscultation, olfaction, and percussion
• Adjunctive tests: May include laboratory tests, imaging studies, endoscopic exams, and pathological exams