Recommendation CER
Thu, Nov 5, 2026 · Week 11 · Principles of Biomedical Technology (Principles of Biomedical Science)
Today's goal: Students write a CER that recommends a diagnosis and next steps from synthesized evidence.
This is a model of the work you should turn in today. Use it to check your own: match the structure and the level of detail, do not copy it. Your data and wording should be your own.
Claim: Patient B's most likely diagnosis is iron-deficiency anemia.\n\nEvidence: The history notes ongoing fatigue, feeling cold, and heavy menstrual periods; the complete blood count shows hemoglobin at 9.8 g/dL (below the 12.0 to 15.5 g/dL normal range for adult females) with small, pale red cells; and the physical exam finds pale inner eyelids and a resting heart rate of 98 beats per minute.\n\nReasoning: These sources converge on one story. The history points to steady blood loss and a body working harder to move oxygen, the low hemoglobin with small pale cells is the direct laboratory signature of too little iron to build normal red blood cells, and the pale eyelids plus faster heart rate are the body compensating for reduced oxygen-carrying capacity. Next steps: I recommend a serum ferritin test to confirm depleted iron stores, since ferritin measures the actual iron reserve rather than just the downstream red-cell count. Limitation: a low hemoglobin alone does not prove the cause, because other conditions such as chronic disease can also lower it, so the ferritin result is needed before the diagnosis is final.
This model shows the level of evidence and organization needed to complete: A claim-evidence-reasoning paragraph naming the most likely diagnosis, citing multi-source workup evidence, recommending confirmatory next steps, and stating one limitation.
- Write one defensible claim.
- Choose specific evidence that supports the claim.
- Explain the scientific rule that connects the evidence to the claim.
Keep the structure. Replace the question, facts, measurements, and evidence. Then recheck units, vocabulary, and whether the conclusion goes beyond the evidence.
Also due today: turns in the CER on the class site under the Recommendation CER assignment before the end of the period.
Claim ceiling: Today's evidence supports a classroom claim about recommendation CER. It cannot prove causation, diagnose a real patient, or justify action outside this room.
One exam-style question that uses exactly what you practiced today. Try it before you reveal the answer, then read why each choice is right or wrong.
Tap an answer to see the full explanation. Nothing is recorded or graded.
It builds this reusable test skill: Recommending confirmatory testing to reduce diagnostic uncertainty.
- Name the concept or data pattern being tested.
- Cross out choices that violate that rule or the evidence.
- Justify the best remaining choice before checking the answer.