Diagnosis vs. Prescription — What's the Difference?

Diagnosis is the identification of the nature and cause of a certain phenomenon. Diagnosis is used in many different disciplines, with variations in the use of logic, analytics, and experience, to determine "cause and effect".

The action of establishing a rule, law, or direction.

The act or process of identifying or determining the nature and cause of a disease or injury through evaluation of patient history, examination, and review of laboratory data.

Something that is prescribed; a rule, law, or direction

The opinion derived from such an evaluation.

A written order, especially by a physician, for the preparation and administration of a medicine or other treatment.

A critical analysis of the nature of something.

A prescribed medicine or other treatment

The conclusion reached by such analysis.

An ophthalmologist's or optometrist's written instruction, as for the grinding of corrective lenses.

(Biology) A brief description of the distinguishing characteristics of an organism, as for taxonomic classification.

(Law) The acquisition of an easement or of title to property by use or occupancy that exceeds the time allowed to another to recover it by statutory right.

(medicine) The identification of the nature and cause of an illness.

A written order from an authorized medical practitioner for provision of a medicine or other treatment, such as (ophthalmology) the specific lenses needed for a pair of glasses.

The identification of the nature and cause of something (of any nature).

(medicine) The medicine or treatment provided by such an order.

(taxonomy) A written description of a species or other taxon serving to distinguish that species from all others; especially a description written and published in Latin.

(figurative) Any plan of treatment or planned treatment.

Synonym of diagnose

(legal) enactment, the act of establishing a law, regulation, etc., particularly in writing; an instance of this.

The art or act of recognizing the presence of disease from its signs or symptoms, and deciding as to its character; also, the decision arrived at.

(linguistics) The act of establishing or formalizing ideal norms for language use, as opposed to describing the actual norms of such use; an instance of this.

Hence, the act or process of identifying the nature or cause of some phenomenon, especially the abnormal behavior of an animal or artifactual device; as, diagnosis of a vibration in an automobile; diagnosis of the failure of a sales campaign; diagnosis of a computer malfunction.

(legal) An established time period within which a right must be exercised and after which it is null and permanently unenforceable.

Scientific determination of any kind; the concise description of characterization of a species.

(legal) An established time period after which a person who has uninterruptedly, peacefully, and publicly used another's property acquires full ownership of it.

Critical perception or scrutiny; judgment based on such scrutiny; esp., perception of, or judgment concerning, motives and character.

(obsolete) self-restraint, limiting of one's actions especially according to a moral code or social conventions.

Identifying the nature or cause of some phenomenon

Only available with a physician or nurse practitioner's written prescription

The act of prescribing, directing, or dictating; direction; precept; also, that which is prescribed.

A direction of a remedy or of remedies for a disease, and the manner of using them; a medical recipe; also, a prescribed remedy.

A prescribing for title; the claim of title to a thing by virtue of immemorial use and enjoyment; the right or title acquired by possession had during the time and in the manner fixed by law.

Directions prescribed beforehand; the action of prescribing authoritative rules or directions;

A drug that is available only with written instructions from a doctor or dentist to a pharmacist;

Written instructions for an optician on the lenses for a given person

Written instructions from a physician or dentist to a druggist concerning the form and dosage of a drug to be issued to a given patient

Available only with a doctor's written prescription;