The Nature of Diagnoses

Etymologically, diagnosis means discerning, distinguishing. The everyday use of the word also implies seeking for the causes of a problem. From a conceptual point of view, diagnoses are made to forecast and to exert influence on a reality. The level of the groundings upon which diagnoses are based defines its level of accuracy.

Diagnoses necessarily include intuitive aspects when approaching new situations. The difference between diagnoses does not lie in the intuitive approach, but in the processing of the information that intuition offers.

We have identified five levels of diagnoses:

1. Intuitive-analogical
2. Descriptive
3. Static
4. Causal
5. Functional

Intuitive-analogical diagnosis

The intuitive diagnosis approaches reality from the subjective perceptions of an individual. It does not use groundings to validate intuition, just intuitive analogies.

Descriptive diagnosis

The outcome of this diagnosis is a description of the visible physical aspects of a reality. This diagnosis can help to solve simple problems.

The static diagnosis

This diagnosis is based on the analysis of a reality. It is called static because in order to analyze something, we need to consider it as a fixed situation in time and circumstances. This diagnosis helps solving simple problems in areas which involve formal or rational components.

The causal diagnosis

The causal diagnosis is a systemic approach to reality. It is a systemic diagnosis that analyzes the functionality of a given reality.

It sustains the solution of complex problems with low ambiguity levels.

The functional diagnosis

This diagnosis is based on the understanding of the functional concepts that underlay a given reality. The functional diagnosis is necessary for the solution of highly complex problems with ambiguous components.

The secure diagnosis

A diagnosis is “secure” when it includes all levels of analysis. Secure knowledge has been achieved when this condition has been fulfilled. Secure knowledge requires a high investment of energy. Therefore people often prefer to use reliable but not secure diagnoses, and control the evolution of a given reality in order to validate the accuracy of such diagnoses.

The Unicist Diagnostics Standard

The unicist diagnostics technology was developed to provide a standard for the diagnosis of adaptive systems whatever the field of activity.

It has been a methodology used in the Unicist R&D processes for years until it was approved as a standard.

The purpose of the diagnosis is to find a solution. That is why only those who know how to solve a problem can diagnose it.

Autopsies are not homologous to unicist diagnoses. A dead body is not considered an adaptive system and no solution can be found for it.

Unicist Diagnostics is based on fundamental diagnoses that deal with the unified field of the adaptive system and technical analytical diagnoses that deal with the signs and symptoms based diagnoses.

The Ontogenetic Map of Unicist Diagnostics

The purpose of the diagnosis is to improve the functionality of an adaptive system. To be able to achieve this purpose it is necessary to know the cure of the “problem” that hinders the improvement, and which are the palliatives that need to be used to make the cure possible.

The development of the maximal strategy to develop a solution requires having apprehended the unified field of the adaptive system.

This knowledge allows deciding if the expansion of the unified field is possible.

If the expansion is hypothetically possible, the diagnosis based on the ontogenetic maps of the adaptive system allows learning how to do it and the falsification of the sign based diagnosis, as a destructive test, is used to confirm the possibility.

The minimum strategy is based on a symptomatic diagnosis which is based on the knowledge of the specific functionality of the signs that are measured during the process.

Making a signs based diagnosis is the way to implement the minimum strategy of a diagnosis. This provides the learning process for the symptomatic diagnosis.

The confirmation process is based on the validation of the sign based diagnosis by the comparison with the standards and the ontogenetic maps.

The process to develop a unicist diagnosis is the following:

1. Define the hypothetical solution that has to be achieved.
   A) Describe the cure to be used to make the hypothetical solution happen.
   B) Describe the palliatives that will be used to develop the hypothetical solution and the cure.
   C) Define the functionality improvement that has to be achieved.
2. Describe the actual unified field.
3. Define the fundamental diagnosis using ontogenetic maps.
4. Define and implement the destructive tests for the fundamental diagnosis.
5. Define the expansion of the unified field that can be achieved.
6. Define the symptomatic diagnosis that needs to be developed.
7. Define and develop the sign based diagnosis within the limits of the symptomatic diagnosis.
8. Validate the sign based diagnosis using preexisting standards.
9. Define the symptomatic diagnosis confirming the compatibility with the fundamental diagnosis.
10. Develop the necessary destructive and non destructive pilot tests.

Segmentation of Diagnoses

There is the need of segmenting the diagnosing processes in order to make them more accessible for the different levels of diagnosticians. Symptomatic diagnoses demand a lower level of knowledge and awareness than the diagnoses of the unified field of an adaptive system.

The segments are:

1. Descriptive Diagnoses
2. Static Diagnoses
3. Causal Diagnoses
4. Conceptual Diagnoses

Descriptive Diagnoses

They are based on a detailed description of the signs (facts) of the adaptive system within the limits of the symptoms defined by the responsible diagnostician or client.

Static Diagnoses

They are based on the development of a diagnosis comparing the signs with the categories of a standard or an ontogenetic map within the limits of the symptoms defined by the responsible diagnostician or client.

Causal Diagnoses

They are systemic diagnoses of the unified field of an adaptive system, in which a systemic compromise is made to deal with the functions of an adaptive system as variables. The limit of the diagnosis is the actual unified field of the adaptive system.

Conceptual Diagnoses

They are the diagnoses of the actual adaptive system and its possibilities for expanding, based on the ontogenetic maps that define its functionality. The limit of these diagnoses is the actual unified field and the possible expansion of the adaptive system.

Conclusion

The three essential functions to manage human adaptive systems are: diagnostics, strategy, and architecture building. These three elements have something in common. They require full awareness of the adaptive system and its environment.