A systematic medical examination or diagnostic procedure to identify a condition or disease. In medical contexts, a comprehensive evaluation including tests, examinations, and assessments.
American English compound from 'work' and 'up,' originally meaning to develop or elaborate something thoroughly. The medical usage emerged in the mid-20th century, extending the general sense of 'working something up' (developing it completely) to diagnostic procedures.
The medical 'workup' perfectly captures the detective nature of diagnosis - doctors literally 'work up' from symptoms to solutions, building a case through systematic investigation. The term reflects medicine's evolution from intuitive healing to scientific method, where hunches must be supported by evidence.
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