> Diagnosing (dx)  is the privilige of MDs. RNs may make nursing dx.  I think
> that LCs make lactation dx, and that over time, custom will establish this
> as our province of expertise -- esp. if we keep moving forward with
> education requirements and adhere to certification that documents
> competency.

My set of forms I use as private practice LC contains one form called
''communication with caretakers'' which I use to communicate with mostly docs
and some other hcp's. Among other items it contains 3 large spaces to fill in
''excerpt of lactation anamnesis'', excerpt of lactation diagnosis'' and
''excerpt of treatment and instruction''. Never got a negative comment on that,
so I think it is accepted as is. Some docs may question my lc diagnosis, but not
the fact that I call it a diagnosis.
Could this perhaps be a matter of language? I know that in the Dutch schooling
system they use diagnostic tests, meaning a test to define how far a pupil or
student is in his/her educational path. So we use it as a more general term,
meaning ''defining a status''. I do know that that is so with other words we use
in Dutch that sound the same but have a slightly different meaning than the
English/American.

Gonneke van Veldhuizen, IBCLC, living in Maaseik, Belgium
http://www.users.skynet.be/eurolac
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