Computer Tomography (CT)ĬT scans are the more advanced and detailed version of x-rays used to produce cross-sectional images of bones, soft tissues, blood vessels, and other internal structures. X-ray is the most commonly known form of diagnostic imaging and is often the first imaging test done to evaluate issues in the arms, legs, chest, and, occasionally, the spine and abdomen. X-ray machines use low doses of high-energy radiation waves aimed at a specific body part to record an image that shows variations in tissue density. Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CMP)Ī CMP, like a CBC, is a fourteen-part blood analysis that provides information about a patient’s current metabolism-including information about kidney and liver function electrolyte, protein, and blood glucose levels and acidity/alkalinity. What Are Examples of Diagnostic Tests? Complete Blood Count (CBC)Ī CBC is a common type of blood test that analyzes fifteen different blood test readings that provides a general overview of an individual’s health and is often the first test used to determine if a patient has an infection or if other factors are causing their symptoms. Now that you’ve got a general idea of the purpose of these various roles that diagnostic tests are used to fulfill, let’s take a look at the specific methods of diagnostic testing most commonly used by doctors. Though there are an overwhelming number of medical examinations used to diagnose an even more overwhelming number of ailments, they can, for the most part, be classified as fulfilling the following five roles : Confirmation/ExclusionĪn assessment used to either confirm or exclude a suspected disease TriageĪn initial test that is quick to administer with a low margin of error in regard to false-positive results MonitoringĪ repeated test that allows for assessment of a treatment’s efficacy PrognosisĪn assessment of a treatment’s outcome or the progression of a disease ScreeningĪ test used to detect the presence of disease in a person presenting as asymptomatic Diagnosis, however, is not the exclusive function of diagnostic testing. What is Diagnostic Testing Used For?ĭiagnostic testing, as mentioned above, is generally used to discover the underlying issue that brought a patient to the doctor in the first place. Although you may think that practice is fine for something as seemingly innocuous as the common cold or a sprained ankle, not every illness will clear up on its own, and those that don’t have the potential to be fatal if not treated promptly.

There are currently 113 essential diagnostic tests, as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO), that doctors hope will help improve diagnostic-and consequently, treatment-outcomes.įor many of us, going to the doctor is usually a sign that something abnormal is happening in our bodies, oftentimes waiting until the symptoms are unbearable. Why Is Diagnostic Testing Important?Īccurate and efficient diagnostic procedures are crucial for doctors to create effective treatment plans that allow patients to recover as quickly as possible with the least amount of complications. Keep reading to learn more about the importance of diagnostic testing and the most common medical tests ordered by doctors. Medical diagnostic tests encompass a wide variety of physical examinations -both invasive and non-invasive-given by medical professionals to confirm the presence or absence of illness/disease in patients.

What Are Medical Diagnostic Tests and How Do They Work? What Are Diagnostic Tests?Ĭhances are, anytime you’ve gone to the doctor’s office presenting symptoms of an illness or injury, your healthcare provider has requested that you undergo diagnostic testing of some sort.

Diagnostics test