Establishing a pathological diagnosis requires complex mental processes including attention, perception, memory, planning and language, not always clearly understood by the pathologists themselves. Little importance has been given to these important aspects of the pathological practice in spite of its profound implications for understanding the intricate processes involved in pathological diagnosis. In this paper, we present a theoretical basis for the diagnostic process. In the description of the cognitive mental processes such as attention, perception and memory we employ the concepts of Luria and Vygotskyy, emphasizing the cultural origins of these processes largely mediated by the language. The dichotomy between objectivity and subjectivity is approached through Maturana's biology of knowledge. Based on these concepts we present a theoretical planning strategy considering cognitive, communicative, and normative aspects as well as the performance of the pathologist in relation to the case, to the patient and to the assistant physician. Finally, we present the educational implications arising from this model.
Education, Medical; Pathology; Diagnosis
