The first tool in medicine that dramatically helped physicians in making a diagnosis of heart and lung problems is the invention of the stethoscope in 1816 by Rene Laennec. Then X-ray machine was discovered by Wilhelm Conrad Roetgen in 1895. A British engineer, Godfrey Hounsfield made the CT scan commercially available. However, in spite of these advances in diagnostic tools, studies from Western countries are showing that physicians are making 5% to 15% errors in diagnosis. Unfortunately, there is no national or international effort to reduce diagnostic errors up to now.
I think the two reasons why physicians make a wrong diagnosis is failing to ask the right question because of the natural limitation of the brain which can remember only about 7 items or questions in each interview with their patient. The second reason is the majority of physicians will take only three to four top diagnosis (differential diagnosis) for each patient. There are 28 Causes of Chronic Cough and 44 for Abdominal pain in this App.
Diagnosis Made Easy App will help reduce diagnostic errors below 5%. This diagnostic tool has a listing for all the best questions to ask for each of the complaints that the patient came for. And this is followed by all the possible diagnosis that the physician should think about. At the top of these lists are the three to five serious conditions or common causes.
This is the first App that mimics the way a physician think or make a clinical diagnosis while in front of the patient. This Apple App is the extra brain of a physician in her or his pocket.
This is a Beta edition and will be expanded in the coming months to cover all of the complaints of patients who see a physician and medical assistants.
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Leonardo Leonidas, MD, is a graduate of the University of the Philippines College of Medicine in 1968. He practiced pediatrics for 37 years at Bangor, Maine, USA, and was an Assistant Clinical Professor in Pediatrics for 25 years at Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston. He retired from practice in 2008.
He was given an Outstanding Alumnus Award by UPMAS (University of the Philippines Medical Alumni Society), 2010, given at Shangri-La, Makati, Dec. 21, 2010
On May 13, 2009, he received a “Distinguished Career in Teaching Award” from Tufts University School of Medicine, Presented at Omni Parker Hotel at Boston on May 13, 2009
In 2006, he was voted by the University of the Philippines Medical Alumni Society as “Overseas Teacher of the Year 2006”
On October 25, 2012, he received a letter of appreciation from President Barack Obama for his suggestions on improving medical care in the USA.
President Bill Clinton sent him a letter on May 25, 1993, thanking him for his ideas on improving health care.