Abstract

The term recipe knowledge refers to the attempt to transfer practical abilities, or “know how,” from a skilled or knowledgeable performer to a novice by offering step-by-step directions for accomplishing a specific task (Shaffer, 1998). In the last twenty years, the medical community has been developing diagnostic and treatment tools—such as decision support systems or algorithms—which are, in essence, recipe knowledge for physicians. This paper will explore the literature on the development of the decision support systems as a case study of the deliberate construction of recipe knowledge. In addition, the paper will focus on the appropriate uses, and potential abuses, of these aids among physicians. The paper will also explore concerns about so-called “Docs in a box,” computer software marketed to laypersons that are thought to encourage self-diagnosis and self-treatment among lay persons.