potential health condition considered by a care actor based on one or more observed conditions
Figure 16 — considered condition (UML Representation)
A request for care normally includes a health condition or symptom observed by the subject of care and also a question about what the reason for that symptom might be. It is the potential health condition in this question (the health condition behind the symptom) that is called a considered condition.
A referral within a continuity of care process is normally motivated by one or several observed conditions or professionally assessed conditions. However, the referral also normally includes a question that the care investigation is supposed to get an answer to. The question formulated as a potential condition is a considered condition.
A considered condition remains considered until the associated observed conditions are changed or completed. Care investigation or care treatment can result in new observations that can verify or not verify the considered condition. When a considered condition is verified, it becomes an observed condition or professionally assessed condition that may be a working diagnosis. If a considered condition is discounted, it is transformed into an excluded condition.