The terms ‘sign’ and ‘symptom’ have proven difficult to define and represent in a biomedical ontology. Medical professionals use ‘sign’ and ‘symptom’ to refer to medically relevant information about patients; however, they do not agree on the definitions. In particular, while medical professionals agree that there is an important distinction between signs and symptoms, they do not agree on the ...

There is one concept in medicine which is prominent, the symptom. The omnipresence of the symptom seems, however, not to be reflected by an equally prominent curiosity aimed at investigating this concept as a phenomenon. In classic, traditional or conventional medical diagnostics and treatment, the lack of distinction with respect to the symptom represents a minor problem. Faced with enigmatic ...

Physical symptoms with uncertain medical explanations are some of the most common presentations in primary care. As many as 25% of visits to primary care physicians are prompted by physical symptoms that lack any clear organic pathology [1]. Although some patients with medically unexplained physical symptoms experience mild and/or transient discomfort, others experience substantial discomfort, ...

Although concurrent symptoms are frequently reported in clinical practice, symptom management research has not reflected this reality. Concurrent, related symptoms, i.e., symptom clusters, are possibly the next generation of work to be done in the area of symptom management. It has been suggested that certain clusters of symptoms may have a synergistic effect on future patient outcomes, and may...