Differential diagnoses and diagnostic testing

  A nurse and a patient looking at a file Description automatically generated When seeking to identify a patient’s health condition, advanced practice nurses can use a diverse selection of diagnostic tests and assessment tools to help in understanding a patient’s condition. In turn, beginning with a differential diagnosis supports the process of further applying information to narrow the possibilities of what the condition may be and working to arrive at the most accurate diagnosis for planning treatment. determine the physical exams and diagnostic tests that would be most appropriate for gaining information and better understanding of your patient’s condition. Then, based on your analysis, you will formulate a differential diagnosis for the patient.