I’ve written a new book on diagnostic reasoning called: How to understand and use diagnostic tests. It’s meant to be a short, accessible introduction to the diagnostic process suitable for clinicians and interested patients. A brief description is below.
The first edition of the book (May 2019) is available for free. Electronic copies of this book are available in both EPUB file and MOBI (for Kindle) formats at the following links:
(See below for instructions for how to open both file types.)
These files are also available at the book website. If the link does not work, search for this address in your browser: https://busaraanalytics862194081.wordpress.com/.)
The book can also be accessed over the Internet by following this link. (If the link does not work, search for this address in your browser: https://diagnosisprimer.pressbooks.com/)
Please note: This book is a work in progress, so please send your comments and suggestions and share it with your friends and others who you think might be interested in it. We’d love to obtain feedback from as many people as possible.
The easiest way to submit comments is via email sent to either jdolan787@gmail.com or busaraanalytics@hotmail.com. You can also enter comments on the book website.
Book description
An accurate diagnosis is an essential component of good medical care. All diagnoses are initially uncertain. In some cases, the presenting signs and symptoms are distinctive enough to make a diagnosis with a high degree of certainty. In others, however, the cause of the presenting signs and symptoms is less clear-cut. In these situations, information obtained from one of more diagnostic tests can resolve much of the uncertainty about the cause of the patient’s symptoms. However, many commonly used diagnostic tests cannot resolve diagnostic uncertainty completely because they sometimes give false positive and false negative results. The key to understanding the diagnostic process is recognizing that uncertainty often exists and learning how to manage it. The goal of this primer is to help practitioners and patients achieve this level of understanding.
EPUB file
EPUB is short for electronic publication. The EPUB format is the standard electronic book format of the International Digital Publishing Forum. EPUB files can be opened by a large number of software programs and readily converted into PDF files if desired.
Reading an EPUB file on a Mac or IOS device
The simplest approach is to use iBOOKS. iBOOKs included in the operating system installed on both types of devices and is the default EPUB reader on both. In addition to being a reader it has a library function that collects and catalogs all readable files on the device. It is easy to use and works well. Highly recommended.
Reading an EPUB file on Windows
Microsoft Edge, automatically installed as part of Windows 10, will open an EPUB file automatically and is the easiest approach to reading a single EPUB file on a computer running Windows 10. The one drawback is there is no library function, that collects readable files on the device. Good alternatives that also include library capabilities are Calibre and Adobe Digital Editions. Both run on multiple operating systems, including older editions of the Windows operating system.
Additional information about reading EPUB files can be found at this link.
MOBI File
Mobi files can be read using an Amazon Kindle, either on a stand-alone Kindle device or the Kindle reader apps that are available to all commonly used devices. In addition to being a reader, the Amazon Kindle applications also include library functions and syncing across devices. For further information, please visit the Amazon Kindle reader page.
Thanks.
mdm787 