Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30723033›Full record

ReviewBrazilian journal of physical therapy

Higher order thinking about differential diagnosis.

Chad E Cook, Simon Décary

Open access · bronzeAbstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Brazilian journal of physical therapy. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 20 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
20citing papers in PubMed
3.6field-weighted citation impact, top 8% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

20 citing papers in PubMed, 55 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Validation of the Turkish version of the Phobic Stimuli Response Scales.Psicologia, reflexao e critica : revista semestral do Departamento de Psicologia da UFRGS · 2026
    Article
  5. A Subserosal Fibroid With Myxoid Degeneration: A Challenging Pelvic Mass.Case reports in obstetrics and gynecology · 2026
    Article
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  7. Article
  8. Review
  9. Article
  10. Observational
  11. Review
  12. Article
  13. Review
  14. Article
  15. Article
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  17. Article
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  20. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

Chad E CookDivision of Physical Therapy, Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States. Electronic address: chad.cook@duke.edu.
Simon DécaryCanada Research Chair in Shared Decision Making and Knowledge Translation, Université Laval, Faculty of Medicine, Québec, Canada.
Duke University · USUniversité Laval · CA

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundDifferential diagnosis is a systematic process used to identify the proper diagnosis from a set of possible competing diagnoses.

methodsThe goal of this masterclass is to discuss the higher order thinking components of differential diagnosis.

conclusionsFor healthcare providers, diagnosis is one of many necessary components during the clinical decision making process and it is hallmarked by differentiation of competing structures for a definitive understanding of the underlying condition. The diagnostic process involves identifying or determining the etiology of a disease or condition through evaluation of patient history, physical examination, and review of laboratory data or diagnostic imaging; and the subsequent descriptive title of that finding. Whereas differential diagnosis is a varied skill set among all healthcare providers, the concept of a diagnosis is equally germane, regardless of one's background. In theory, a diagnosis improves the use of classification tools, improves clarity and communication, provides a trajectory of treatment, improves understanding of a person's prognosis, and in some cases, may be useful for preventative treatments. To achieve these improvements, one must have an understanding of relation of the clinical utility of tests and measures with diagnosis, and how to best implement these findings in clinical practice. This requires a deeper understanding (higher order thinking) of the role of diagnosis in the management of patients.

Indexed as

Diagnosis, DifferentialHumansPhysical ExaminationPrognosisDiagnosisHigher order thinkingSensitivitySpecificity

Identifiers

PMID30723033
PMCPMC6994315
OpenAlexW2912548934

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.