Legal Definitions - clinical diagnosis

Definition: Clinical diagnosis is the determination of a medical condition, such as a disease, by physical examination or by studying its symptoms.

Examples:

• A doctor examines a patient and determines that they have strep throat based on their symptoms and physical examination. This is a clinical diagnosis.
• A patient with a persistent cough undergoes a chest X-ray, which shows signs of pneumonia. This is a clinical diagnosis.

These examples illustrate how a clinical diagnosis is made based on a combination of physical examination and symptom analysis. It is important for doctors to accurately diagnose medical conditions in order to provide appropriate treatment.