Knowledge Based Components of Expertise in Medical Diagnosis.

Abstract : The report investigates the contribution of case-related medical knowledge to clinical diagnosis and differences in this knowledge among individuals with different amounts of experience in a subspeciality of medicine. Subjects diagnosed clinical cases while thinking aloud. Each case was designed to assess a different aspect of medical knowledge. Consistent differences in performance among diagnosticians at different levels of experience were found and inferences made to sources of medical knowledge responsible for performance. Recurrent sources of error (bugs) were identified for the less experienced diagnosticians. (Author)