AlphaMED Resources · https://alphamedicine.uk/Resources/glossary/diagnosis-prognosis
Diagnosis vs prognosis
A diagnosis names the condition a patient has. A prognosis is the forecast of how that condition is likely to progress.
Summary
- A diagnosis is worked out from the history, the examination and tests.
- A prognosis draws on how other patients with the condition have done, and is given as a likelihood.
- A differential diagnosis is the list of conditions that could explain the symptoms, before tests narrow it down.
- Patients often ask about prognosis first. They want to know what will happen to them.
Interview questions
- What is the difference between a diagnosis and a prognosis?
- A patient asks how long they have to live. How do you answer?
- How certain can a doctor be about a prognosis?
Practise answering these with a mentor
Our interview preparation has you answer questions like these out loud, with feedback on each answer.
alphamedicine.uk/Services · alphamedicine.uk/Contact
More NHS hot topics, medical ethics case studies and medical school interview questions are in AlphaMED Resources, which we add to and update through the application cycle.