Diagnosis

The dominant way through which diseases, illnesses, and disabilities are labelled, discussed, understood, and ‘explained’ within biomedicine. A diagnosis is both a category and a process (Blaxter, 1978). Diagnoses serve several functions within and for biomedicine, including 1) creating a language for discussing and addressing health and disorder and 2) determining the allocation of resources and supports, shaping of research, and one’s access to health services (Jutel, 2017a, p. 139).