Clinical

Derived from the Greek term for a bed, this word refers to activities, or diagnoses made on the basis of talking to and examining a patient. It should precede any special investigationsAfter a doctor has taken a history from a patient and carried a physical examination of appropriate body parts, he or she will then very likely request laboratory tests, scans or other special studies, all of which constitute investigations., which are directed by the clinical findings. Latterly, the word has been adopted and distorted, in a rather curious way, by football commentators.