What is the Difference Between Diagnosis and Prognosis?

The main difference between diagnosis and prognosis lies in their purpose and temporality.

• Diagnosis is the identification of a disease, condition, or injury based on its signs and symptoms. Healthcare professionals use various methods, such as health history, physical examination, blood tests, imaging, and biopsies, to determine a diagnosis. Diagnosis is focused on the present situation and helps identify the specific issue affecting the patient.
• Prognosis is a prediction of the expected development of a disease, condition, or injury. It includes anticipating whether symptoms will improve, stay the same, or worsen over time, as well as expectations for the patient's quality of life, the possibility of complications, and whether the person will survive. Prognosis is focused on the future implications of the diagnosed condition and helps determine the likely course of the disease and its potential outcomes.

In summary:

• Diagnosis is the identification of a present issue based on signs and symptoms.
• Prognosis is the prediction of how the identified issue will develop and affect the patient in the future.

A helpful trick to remember the difference is that a diagnosis comes before a prognosis, and "diagnosis" is before "prognosis" alphabetically.

Comparative Table: Diagnosis vs Prognosis

Here is a table outlining the differences between diagnosis and prognosis:

In summary, diagnosis and prognosis are two important concepts in medicine that are often used interchangeably but have distinct meanings and implications for patient care. Diagnosis identifies a disease or condition, while prognosis predicts the likely outcome of the disease or condition.