title: [Clinical reasoning--the diagnostic and therapeutic decision process].
abstract: The goal of this review is to demonstrate the steps and the main items of the cognitive process used by doctors in clinical reasoning of diagnostic and therapeutic decisions. The clinical problem-solving process makes use of the hypothetic deductive scientific method to solve problems. As soon as the doctor meets his (her) patient, many diagnostic hypotheses emerge in his (her) mind, which are evaluated and refuted or corroborated. The diagnostic decision occurs when a hypothesis reach a certain degree of likelihood. The therapeutic decision is based on the intended objectives and the waited effectiveness among many available alternatives.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Clínica Médica da Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, PR.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Réa-Neto
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence; D003071:Cognition; D006801:Humans; D010347:Patient Care Planning; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D011340:Problem Solving
vernacular_title: Raciocínio clínico--o processo de decisão diagnóstica e terapêutica.