DISTRIBUTED KNOWLEDGE IN COLLABORATIVE ME DICAL DIAGNOSIS

Medical diagnosis, widely understood to be an intellectually complex t ask, is also shown as the product of a complex social process involvin g individuals who vary in status and area of expertise. The credibilit y of clinical information directly depends on the status and expertise attributed to the patient and to various members of the hospital team . The author reveals this social component by examining the discourse that occurs as medical experts evaluate clinical evidence in order to arrive at a satisfactory diagnosis.