INTUITIVE DIAGNOSIS

Abstract

A clinical 'hunch' is well known to doctors, nurses, and ocher health care professionals. It may be as vague as an uneasy feeling, that defies laboratory explanarion but leads to perseverance umil a diagnosis is uncovered. An urge may arise to visit a particular patient, who turns out to be in urgent need of help. A complex diagnosis may come to mind days before it is confIrmed. The frequency of such occurrences is unknown but intuitive impressions are explored only rarely by most medical professionals.

Intuitive impressions are nor limited to medical professionals. Occasional intuitive insights are reported by scientists, artists, and politicians. Indeed. intuitive experiences have influenced numerous famous people throughout history.

Many healers claim that intuitive impressions are a regular aspect of their work. If true, this could offer a major contribution to medical care. Considerable research has been published in support of the efficacy of healing. Fewer studies are available to assess the validiry of claims for intuitive diagnosis. These are reviewed in this article.

Two qualitative studies of intuitive diagnosis are presented, with discussions of theoretical issues and problems with methodology.