title: The basic clinical diagnostic framework synergized.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To develop a diagnostic framework that would help defining clinical problems by the expanded understanding with traditional Chinese medicine (C Med) and western medicine (W Med).
  
  
  METHODS
  The basic attributes of diagnosis and the use of diagnostic techniques of W Med and C Med are reviewed. Some of the various diagnostic labels and their meanings are also preliminarily reviewed. A consolidatory approach is made to synergize the usefulness of the two disciplines based on the principles of the two schools.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A synergized basic diagnostic framework is developed. The disease (the disease diagnosis, [symbol: see text]), the state of the inner core (the core diagnosis, [symbol: see text]) should be defined. The term "systemic clues" is used to describe the symptom complex and conglomerate evidence describing the transient or sustained reaction of the inner core to environment. This is an analytical summary of its pathophysiological changes in reaction to the environmental insults.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The application and use of the framework are discussed and propositions are made. The synergized diagnostic platform represents a starting effort to form a unified basis to exchange clinical diagnosis between W Med and C Med. Such framework may facilitate looking for new treatment modalities and results can be compared across different centres.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: E C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Yu
mesh_terms: D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D019937:Diagnostic Techniques and Procedures; D006801:Humans; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional