It is a tactical mistake to theorize before one has all the data. The annotated bibliographies created by Dr. Jeghers illustrate the mind of a master clinician at work. They demonstrate a complimentary depth-breadth approach to differential diagnosis. Initial efforts of the physician involve in-depth data collection. Pivotal clinical findings, clusters of signs or symptoms, and abnormal laboratory data are identified.
Discovery rewards the prepared mind.
Once the clincal pattern is recognized, the physician applies the breadth approach. Viable hypotheses are generated from the set of diagnostic possibilities compatible with the data collected. The search for a pattern that connects the patient to disease and that connects clinical findings to relevant literature mirrors Dr. Jeghers' thought processes. These annotated bibliographies were created to address clusters of signs and symptoms because that is what brings the patient to the physician. What are annotated bibliographies Annotated bibliographies are a special type of document.