Which is the correct order in the Clinical Reasoning Road Map?

• A. Exam, Eval, Diagnosis, Prognosis, Interventions
• B. Evaluation, Exam, Diagnosis, Prognosis, Interventions
• C. Exam, Eval, Diagnosis, Prognosis, Interventions
• D. Exam, Evaluation, Prognosis, Diagnosis, Interventions

Answer: (C)

The sequence tested is the flow from data gathering to interpretation to decision-making to action. You start with a thorough examination to collect information about the patient’s condition. Then you perform an evaluation, which is the clinician’s synthesis of that information to make sense of what’s going on—this is where you determine the diagnosis and the likely course of the condition (prognosis). Only after you’ve established the diagnosis and prognosis do you plan and implement interventions aimed at improving the outcome.

Why this order fits: exam provides the raw data you need; evaluation turns that data into meaningful clinical judgments; the diagnosis identifies the specific condition you’re addressing, and prognosis guides how long and how intensively you’ll work toward goals; interventions are then selected to influence that prognosis and achieve desired outcomes. Starting with prognosis or interventions before diagnosing or evaluating the data would tie actions to assumptions rather than to the patient’s actual condition.

So the correct sequence is Exam, Eval, Diagnosis, Prognosis, Interventions.