The problem-oriented system is a methodical approach to medical care that centers on a patient's active issues. Instead of trying to fit complex symptoms into a single diagnosis immediately, clinicians define the "problem" first (e.g., "shortness of breath" or "chest pain") and then work systematically toward a diagnosis.
Problem-Oriented Medical Diagnosis: Overcoming Clinical Complexity problemoriented medical diagnosis pdf
The problem-oriented approach was introduced by Dr. Lawrence Weed in the late 1960s. Before this, medical documentation was source-oriented. Notes were grouped by who wrote them (doctors, nurses, labs) rather than by the patient's specific health issues. The problem-oriented system is a methodical approach to
If a patient has an undifferentiated abdominal pain, list it as "Acute Right Lower Quadrant Abdominal Pain" rather than guessing "Appendicitis" prematurely. clinicians define the "problem" first (e.g.