The document discusses concept maps and their use in medical interviewing. Concept maps are a graphical representation that show relationships between concepts using nodes connected by links. They can help organize information gathered from patient interviews by showing interrelationships between symptoms, problems, concerns and other case components. Students are instructed to conduct a mock patient interview, construct a concept map as a group to represent the case, and present their map to the class.
This map has no cross-links but does illustrate branching. This is a map of formal knowledge out of a lecture or a text book. It is a good place to start, but it does not reflect the understanding that comes with experience. The next one does.
This map has many cross-links in addition to many more facts. The hierarchy represents functional knowledge born out of experience rather than the more formalized knowledge found in a text.
Constructing a concept map requires prefrontal decision making that feeds back to establish long term memory in the temporal lobes. Anyone else but the originator of the map is just seeing an outline. The originator sees meaning. More connections, especially cross-links, indicate more meaning.
![Concept Maps ,[object Object],[object Object],Adapted from John Pelley, PhD](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)