Clinical Scale
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A Clinical Scale is a medical scale to systematically assess, measure, or classify various aspects of a patient's health in a clinical setting.
- Context:
- It can (typically) be used for standardized assessments, providing quantitative or qualitative data that can inform diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring of health conditions.
- It can assist in evidence-based medicine as they enhance objectivity and consistency in clinical assessments.
- It can vary widely and include tools for assessing mental health, physical symptoms, pain levels, functional abilities, and risk factors.
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- Example(s):
- The Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) is a clinical scale used to measure the severity of depressive symptoms in patients.
- The Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for pain, which allows patients to rate their pain on a scale from 0 to 10.
- The APGAR score, which is a clinical scale used immediately after childbirth to assess the physical condition of the newborn.
- The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) is used to assess the level of consciousness in patients with traumatic brain injury.
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- Counter-Example(s):
- A Bathroom Scale used at home to measure weight.
- A Food Diary, used by a patient to record daily meals.
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- See Also: Clinical Practice, Health Assessment, Pain Scale, Psychological Scale, Physical Examination, Healthcare Professional, Medical Test