| diagnosis, physical | A diagnosis which is made by means of the physical examination of the patient. (27 Sep 1997) |
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| diagnosis-related group | A classification of patients by diagnosis or surgical procedure (sometimes including age) into major diagnostic categories (each containing specific diseases, disorders, or procedures) for the purpose of determining payment of hospitalization charges, based on the premise that treatment of similar medical diagnoses generate similar costs. A scheme for billing for medical and especially hospital services by combining diseases into groups according to the resources needed for care, arranged by diagnostic category. A dollar value is assigned to each group as the basis of payment for all cases in that group, without regard to the actual cost of care or duration of hospitalization of any individual case, as a mechanism to motivate health-care providers to economise. (05 Mar 2000) |
| diagnosis-related groups | A system for classifying patient care by relating common characteristics such as diagnosis, treatment, and age to an expected consumption of hospital resources and length of stay. Its purpose is to provide a framework for specifying case mix and to reduce hospital costs and reimbursements and it forms the cornerstone of the prospective payment system. (12 Dec 1998) |
| differential diagnosis | The determination of which two or more diseases with similar symptoms is the one from which a patient is suffering from based on an analysis of the clinical data. (27 Sep 1997) |
| DNA diagnosis | <molecular biology> The use of DNA polymorphisms to detect the presence of a disease gene. (09 Oct 1997) |
| laboratory diagnosis | A diagnosis made by a chemical, microscopic, microbiologic, immunologic, or pathologic study of secretions, discharges, blood, or tissue. (05 Mar 2000) |