Murtagh legitimized the diagnostic trial. In primary care, not every presentation warrants immediate investigation. If you suspect gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD), try a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) for two weeks. If the symptoms resolve, you have made the diagnosis. If they don't, reassess.
The answer is a resounding yes, because of . General Practice Murtagh
First published in 1994, Murtagh's General Practice was revolutionary. It did not just list diseases; it provided a to diagnosis. Murtagh recognized that uncertainty is the only certainty in general practice. His work gave clinicians the tools to manage that uncertainty without falling into the trap of dangerous over-simplification. Murtagh legitimized the diagnostic trial
Unlike hospital medicine, where a patient arrives with a label (“appendicitis”), general practice starts with a fog: “I feel tired, doctor.” This is where Murtagh shines. If the symptoms resolve, you have made the diagnosis
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