Topoi 40 (2):327–341 (
2021)
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Abstract
The paper investigates the epistemological and communicative competences the experts need to use and communicate evidence
in the reasoning process leading to diagnosis. The diagnosis and diagnosis communication are presented as intertwined
processes that should be jointly addressed in medical consultations, to empower patients’ compliance in illness management.
The paper presents defeasible reasoning as specific to the diagnostic praxis, showing how this type of reasoning threatens
effective diagnosis communication and entails that we should understand diagnostic evidence as defeasible as well. It argues
that metaphors might be effective communicative devices to let the patients understand the relevant defeasors in the diagnostic
reasoning process, helping to improve effective diagnosis communication, and also encouraging a change in patients’ beliefs
and attitudes on their own experience of illness and illness’ management.