In several ways, the scientific method is similar to medical diagnosis:
In medical diagnosis, the state of the patient's health is being observed. This involves examining the patient and performing measurements like taking temperature and blood pressure, or analysing blood and urine sample.A possible explanation or hypothesis, such as the presence of a specific disease, is then proposed.
The hypothesis is tested. This involves treating the patient for the condition, for example, by administering a medicine.The patient is observed again to determine whether the proposed explanation and the treatment based on it were correct. If the symptoms disappear, the diagnosis (hypothesis) is confirmed; is not another explanation may be necessary.
Unlike the scientist, the health professional must work under certain limitations. For example, time is a critical factor; an initial diagnosis must often be made quickly, without making all possible observations or tests. While in medical diagnosis many problems may be simultaneously involved, in science one tries to limit one's investigation to one part of a specific problem.
In medical diagnosis, the state of the patient's health is being observed. This involves examining the patient and performing measurements like taking temperature and blood pressure, or analysing blood and urine sample.A possible explanation or hypothesis, such as the presence of a specific disease, is then proposed.
The hypothesis is tested. This involves treating the patient for the condition, for example, by administering a medicine.The patient is observed again to determine whether the proposed explanation and the treatment based on it were correct. If the symptoms disappear, the diagnosis (hypothesis) is confirmed; is not another explanation may be necessary.
Unlike the scientist, the health professional must work under certain limitations. For example, time is a critical factor; an initial diagnosis must often be made quickly, without making all possible observations or tests. While in medical diagnosis many problems may be simultaneously involved, in science one tries to limit one's investigation to one part of a specific problem.
