Underlying Professional Differences

Clark

cites the work of Qualls and Czirr (1988) to illustrate these differences. They suggest that professionals may differ in their logic of geriatric clinical assessment, that is, how to define the problem. This difference may be characterized by two different styles of practice.· One of these is a "ruling out" problem by systematically eliminating possibilities until only one problem and a corresponding solution remain.

In contrast, the other approach of "ruling in" problems relies on expanding the range of professional view to encompass an increasingly long list of potential factors.

For example, physicians are trained in diagnostic techniques that narrow the range of options, relying heavily on such objective data as laboratory tests in the process.

Social workers, on the other hand, are taught to go beyond the narrow presenting problem to view it within larger, encompassing psychosocial issues, such as income, family relationships, and environment.